Some gigs showcase bands who, from their live performance, seem to be firmly on the cusp of greater name recognition. The Lottery Winners have a very real chance of seeing their forthcoming album, Anxiety Replacement Therapy, rise to no. 1 in the UK album charts. This on the back of frequent touring, often as the support for acts including the Kaiser Chiefs and Starsailor. That’s not, however, how myself, nor many people here tonight, know them or the support act of Pet Needs.
A friend of mine referred to tonight’s sold-out show in Clwb Ifor Bach as the “Frank Turner alumni” show, and while bands as talented as the ones performing tonight should be known for far more than which acts they warm-up crowds for, its heart-warming that so many fans of Turners have shown up tonight to support these acts in reaching the next rung of their career ladders. You can absolutely see why though – both of the bands on tonight have performances that emanate excitement, and songs with choruses that remain in your memory long after the last note has sounded.
Pet Needs bring a frantic zest to their performance, the insane vigour of their songs only matched by the on-stage demeanour of each of the band members. Being only two albums deep into their career, the band have no right to be writing songs this insanely catchy. And yet from the amount of people singing the words back to the musicians on stage, songs like the ferociously tongue-in-cheek Toothpaste or the cathartic Punk Isn’t Dead It’s Just Up for Sale seem to have already become iconic anthems to their fan-base.
Pet Needs bring a frantic zest to their performance, the insane vigour of their songs only matched by the on-stage demeanour of each of the band members. Being only two albums deep into their career, the band have no right to be writing songs this insanely catchy. And yet from the amount of people singing the words back to the musicians on stage, songs like the ferociously tongue-in-cheek Toothpaste or the cathartic Punk Isn’t Dead It’s Just Up for Sale seem to have already become iconic anthems to their fan-base.
“It’s like Tracey Emin’s Bed in my head. Kind of creative but mainly just a mess” everyone sings alongside the band, during their performance of their breakout single. One of a few moments demonstrating the potential within the music of our support act and our headliners, to act as a rallying cry for those whose minds feel like they work differently to those around them – a frequent well of inspiration for both bands.
Indeed, The Lottery Winners bring a positivity to their songs, that allows them to shine irrespective of their often-serious subject matter. Worry opens proceedings, the feelings of trepidation and unease sung about in its lyrics seeming to dissipate, as the audience joins their voices in a shared ode to overcoming those sensations. Like the band who came before them, there’s a joyous vibrancy in the quips Thom Rylance makes to crowd and the banter traded between each of the band members.
Indeed, The Lottery Winners bring a positivity to their songs, that allows them to shine irrespective of their often-serious subject matter. Worry opens proceedings, the feelings of trepidation and unease sung about in its lyrics seeming to dissipate, as the audience joins their voices in a shared ode to overcoming those sensations. Like the band who came before them, there’s a joyous vibrancy in the quips Thom Rylance makes to crowd and the banter traded between each of the band members.
“If we get a no.1 album you lot can say ‘I saw them before they were famous’” he points out at one point, leading the crowd in an impromptu chant of “fuck Peppa Pig (You’re Only Bacon)” in response to the news that the band are up against some stiff competition from an artist who voiced some major characters in the children’s TV show. Even the bands new songs provoke a huge crowd response, as Let Me Down and Money see’s our frontman doing his best impressions of Boy George and Shaun Ryder, who lend their voices to the studio versions of the songs, respectively. On the subject of famous faces, there’s even a few cheers given for Lily Savage, played by Paul O’ Grady, who the band have put on their guestlists since their inception, tonight vowing to continue doing so for every show they play, in tribute to the great performer.
In case the gigantic stage presence and amazing catchiness of this band’s songs weren’t enough to convince anyone at the show tonight that The Lottery Winners are destined for bigger success, Rylance imparts a bittersweet story of meeting Seymour Stein – the legendary record label exec who signed the Ramones, Talking Heads “and now The Lottery Winners”. Sweet because the story tells of “an elderly man” hobbling over to them at a show where they were playing to eleven people, and giving them his business card. Bitter, because tonight’s show comes about a week after his death.
In case the gigantic stage presence and amazing catchiness of this band’s songs weren’t enough to convince anyone at the show tonight that The Lottery Winners are destined for bigger success, Rylance imparts a bittersweet story of meeting Seymour Stein – the legendary record label exec who signed the Ramones, Talking Heads “and now The Lottery Winners”. Sweet because the story tells of “an elderly man” hobbling over to them at a show where they were playing to eleven people, and giving them his business card. Bitter, because tonight’s show comes about a week after his death.
This process of witnessing a band slowly capture hearts and minds with their music is an inspiring one, and not because of the prestige or money that bands get with having sold lots of tickets. To quote the musician who helped start The Lottery Winners journey to this point, if you didn’t have venues like Clwb Ifor Bach “its not that you wouldn’t have acts who sell out stadiums, its just that they would all be chosen by someone like Simon Cowell”.
The Lottery Winners have got to this point in large part through the support of a grassroots fanbase – something evidenced by the crowd immediately picking up on the change of the final chorus in the bands closing song 21 to “this is how it feels to be number 1” and singing the new words in unison. The work this band have done in cultivating that, and becoming the wildly entertaining live act that they are, is proof alone that if anyone deserves the level of success that they might be headed towards, its them. 10/10
The Lottery Winners have got to this point in large part through the support of a grassroots fanbase – something evidenced by the crowd immediately picking up on the change of the final chorus in the bands closing song 21 to “this is how it feels to be number 1” and singing the new words in unison. The work this band have done in cultivating that, and becoming the wildly entertaining live act that they are, is proof alone that if anyone deserves the level of success that they might be headed towards, its them. 10/10
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