(The G stands for Giannascoli, by the way.)
The Cube is probably one of Bristol's hardest-to-find indie music venues. Tucked away on a side street behind Stokes Croft, it can be tricky to get to the right entrance the first time, but once you get inside, everything feels a lot more cosy. The Cube is volunteer-run and functions as a cinema and live music venue, and once we got let into the room it felt like either one could be happening tonight. The main room has rows of old-fashioned cinema seating with red flip-down seats, and this just adds to the charm of the whole place. Although it was a little strange to be sitting down for a gig, we settled in for the first act.
The opening act, Ides, had to pull out of the gig, so King of Cats were filling in for them. Their songs felt very raw and had a familiar lo-fi feel to them, but the lead singer's higher-pitched voice and use of a tape player in between songs made things a little different. Vocals that changed between screaming, shouting, and soft went alongside simple backing keyboard and drums to keep the rhythm, while the main guitar / mandolin(!) and vocals carried the song. There are some similarities to Avi Buffalo or Sufjan Stevens in terms of vocals and that raw feeling that comes from hearing such honest and personal lyrics,but right now this group has more of a campfire feel to it. They're still pretty new, and still developing, but what they're doing so far shows some pretty great potential. If you're looking for a small band with a classic lo-fi sound and a few quirks added in, King of Cats are definitely worth a listen.
Next up was Oliver Wilde, who's pretty well-known by Howling Owl fans because he's done a fair few gigs in Bristol and works in Rise record store in Clifton. Wilde's songs have a great balance between guitar and vocals; apart from a little reverb, there's nothing to distract from the message and melody of each song. The Cube worked well as a venue for listening to Oliver Wilde because it's pretty small, and the songs are very quiet and feel almost private - I got the sense that I should be listening to them alone rather than in a room full of people. Wilde ended with two new songs, which fit really smoothly with his other music and felt like a natural end to the set.
After a pretty quick turnaround and soundcheck, it was time for the main act. The first thing I noticed about Alex G is that his songs feel a lot stronger when they're played live - maybe it was just the acoustics of the room but the instruments seemed to have a lot more power behind them. Alex G's catchy riffs and confident vocals are so memorable and the Cube's unique setting added to them even more. The soft and distorted vocals of Icehead were replaced by sharp, clear notes hitting the room and it still worked really well. Other highlights were Boy, Black Hair, Adam (with a little of Blink 182's What's My Age Again added into the middle), Harvey, and After Ur Gone which included a pretty surreal guitar solo / twerking performance by Alex.
Giannascoli's music really sums up the feeling of growing up in suburbia but does it in a totally new way. Although they give nods to angst / inertia-driven lo-fi indie music, Trick and DSU have a certain kind of energy that expands on those thoughts that everyone's had around all the anxieties that come with becoming an adult and leaving the town you grew up in.
We stayed behind after the show because my friend Sunny wanted to interview Alex (who, by the way, is super down-to-earth), and I'll post a link to that once it's up but there are some pretty great questions in there. Alex G is one of those performers who really make an effort to interact with the audiences they play for, and that's what makes a gig so much more than just a string of songs. If you get the chance, go and see Alex G while he's still playing the smaller venues: it's totally worth it.
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