To combat the rapidly falling temperatures that are upon us, I headed for the warmth of the Rainbow in Birmingham to see Tall Ships tour their debut album Everything Touching. The first act, Wax Futures, were the musical equivalent of an electric heater, harnessing the pure energy of punk rock and transmitting it in waves over the audience. This Telford trio were a tad unpolished but their set was full of promise, choosing the "fast and furious" mode of delivery which did not go unrewarded by those who watched them.
Constant Waves, the second act on, took a rather different approach, going for atmosphere instead of in-your-face immediacy. The end result was extremely impressive, with excellent musicianship in all areas combining to make a sound not dissimilar to Mogwai-esque post-rock. The band have an EP coming out in the coming months and it will be interesting to track their progress.
The main support, Dad Rocks!, made for a surprising yet pleasant foil to the loudness that had come before. Albertsson and friends filled the room with a folk-pop hybrid sound, with such poignant tracks as the one about "when I found out that my girlfriend was having sex with Edward Cullen in her head". There is humour in abundance here but it is not just humour for humour's sake; it's the kind that makes you examine yourself and the world you live in.
Finally it was time for the arrival of Tall Ships, who have been attracting a fair amount of attention in the build-up to the release of their debut record last week. The complexity of the material that they create has the potential to provide a stumbling block in terms of recreating the sound in a live setting, but the trio seem to have overcome this with ease, and as a result they really do pack a punch live. Intricate looping guitars scythed through the air during 'Plate Tectonics' and a lusty crowd sing-along made for a fitting ending to long-time fan favourite 'Vessels'. The new tracks went down just as well; 'Gallop' and 'Oscar' were particular highlights. The band finished their set with the gargantuan 'Murmurations', a nine-minute masterpiece with the most teasing, tantalising build-up transforming into a triumphant crescendo. There was no other way to end the show; Tall Ships started big, and finished even bigger. One cannot help but feel that their fledgling career is on the same trajectory.
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