Yorkshire’s musical output over the years has been – and this is an understatement if ever there was one – quite commendable.
FANS is one band from the region to have recently ventured out of their familiar territory for a gig at the Sebright Arms in London; sounding something like The Vaccines abutting The Strokes, or the other way around, the three-piece played a set which made up for in energy and sheer loudness what it lacked in length.
Beginning with the moody post-punk ‘All This Time‘, released as a single last year, singer Dan Louch looked and moved around like a Jarman brother in matching loose white t-shirt and upside down white guitar, which contrasted well against the black attire and guitar of the bass player.
Sartorial musings aside, things turned a little political on ‘To The Grave‘, a number Louch revealed is, ‘about the West Bank’, but came back around to the more traditional topic of ‘man singing about a woman’ in the mid-tempo and hooky chorused ‘Another Way‘.
Despite the crowd being smaller than the band’s talent deserved, they finished a tight enough performance with their upcoming EP’s titular track ‘Born Into‘, perhaps the best song of the night and written over a year ago in fact, it’s an autobiographical account of youth and cold houses told through blurred, fuzzy notes over pummeling beats.
Based on the songs heard in London, FANS and their lowercased followers have much to be looking forward to when their EP, produced by Matt Peel of Eagulls and Hookworm fame, is released later this year.
(Steven White)
