A combination of affordability amid the cost of living crisis and the desperate need to absorb live entertainment post-pandemic has brought the masses to Hanley for a cheap night out of top class live music this weekend. There aren’t many places where you can see five bands, have a can of Red Stripe, and still come home with change from a tenner, after all, but The Underground ticks all of the boxes, offering somewhere to escape the news of rising energy bills and Boris Johnson’s blubbering excuses for a few hours.
Historically, recessions have provided working class bands with a sense of fury and a need to feel heard, and the music produced as a result is far superior – subcultures rising up against a common enemy much like the rocking and raving against Thatcherism. And from this economic decline we’re currently facing, I can see a huge wave of emerging talent about to boom, showcased in a stellar line-up at the Morley Street venue on Friday night.
Opening the quickly-paced evening was Manchester duo Dirty Work with a string of songs about ‘shagging and drugs’. It’s not long before Jake Williams has taken off his leather jacket and white tee to perform the rest of the set shirtless, fuelled by a diet of dirty riffs and San Miguel.
The show marked the band’s first show of a ‘European Tour’ heading to Amsterdam the following night and they seem to be vibrating with energy as a result, Matt Salmon practically wired to the mains behind the drumkit.
There’s a real ‘zero fucks’ attitude at work here, but that’s not to say Dirty Work aren’t without a moral compass, with songs about not ‘mistreating women’, and how you shouldn’t be ‘stealing your mate’s bird’. Despite being the only out-of-towners on the bill, they received a warm Staffordshire welcome, the sold-out venue packed front to back as the openers completed their set.
Indie rock trio Smithpools followed, opening with their debut single Charlotte, a noisy and drum-driven introduction to the band. Over the last three years, the trio – Josh Gaitley, Lee Gibson and Sam Holland – have been refining their sound, highlighted in the swirling guitar hooks of Eclipse.
After the bass rumbles and short, snappy lyrics of Caller Unknown came the first of several unpredictable covers of the night – a rendition of Arctic Monkeys’ Fake Tales of San Francisco.
Frontman Josh made his way from the stage into the crowd with his guitar/bass into thick of it for Get Away, the audience dutifully sinking to the floor before erupting into a frenzy at the drop. He returned to the mic stand only to take off his jacket and announce In My Head as their next single, out on April 14, rejoining the throng of fans, finding himself lay on the floor, white Adidas ringer filthy as they finished the set with the most swaggering and gritty Today’s Execution Day.
No sooner had their kit been cleared, Souza stepped into the vacant space, each band on the bill growing in members, now four young lads brandishing instruments as they rattled out their singles in rapid succession, starting with Under My Feet and Out To Play. The band, made up of lead vocalist Adam Rogers, supported by his brother Ben and Jack Brassington on guitar, and drummer Harry Ball, reflected Britpop and Mancunian indie sensibilities, as they continued with Come Back and Morning Calling.
Their latest single, Backroads, which was released in February, offered a much-needed break from the rapid fire of energetic rock tracks that had filled the previous hour and a half, as though to allow the audience to come up for air, before revealing Endless Fountain as their next release.
It’s not often you’ll find two talented brothers who can both shine as performers – the Gallagher brothers, The Osmonds… The BeeGees? But Ben and Adam clearly get on famously, communicating in nods and glances in a way only siblings understand as they share the stage.
The quartet closed with one of their best-loved tracks Devil in a Dress, a catchy and cleverly written number – it’s easy to see why it’s a fan favourite, with relentless riffage and pounding drums for a dramatic conclusion.
Main support Jupiter’s Beard brought a new dynamic to the stage, the three piece joined by a skilled keys player to complete the sound. The band – Spence James, Luke Brown and Simon Lowe – kicked off with the commanding Sexy Lookin’ Loser, a track that demands attention from the opening kickdrum, relaxing into the groove of the more laidback verses of Angel that soars into an earworm of a chorus.
Sunrise is the band’s most recent release, with a bright, poppy feel that reminds me of Scouting For Girls, who the trio supported at Keele last year. It definitely encouraged some foot tapping and head bobbing at the very least, the keys adding a really nice quality to this cheerful summery track.
Heart in Two followed, but it was the band’s unlikely cover of ABBA’s Gimme, Gimme, Gimme that ripped the roof off, complete with a rather fetching look of novelty shades. It was genuinely one of the best covers I’ve seen performed by, well, anyone – and as a huge ABBA fan, I’d even go so far as to say I enjoyed it as much as when I saw Voyage in London. Pure serotonin. It’s particularly brilliant to see these local bands picking unconventional covers instead of the most predictable singles. It made for a seriously memorable moment that made way for more original hits, Robot Soul and Pretty Face from the Prism Sessions EP.
Finally, taking to the stage at 10.15pm, were mischief melody makers The Crowns. The four-piece indie rockers have quickly carved a name for themselves within the scene since their inception in 2021, and have build up a real camaraderie with the other bands on the bill and beyond – there’s a real sense of respect throughout the whole night, in fact, with members of each band taking time to watch the other artists on stage perform.
Although the band have only released two singles so far, they certainly had no trouble filling a 40 minute set, cracking on with Get Somewhere and Never Far. Brandon Grindey plays the lovable frontman – confident, a bit cheeky – there’s a glint in his eye that he’s up to no good as they continue with Too Good.
Between them, Kian, Brandon, Woz and Xhon are a catalyst for chaos, having thrown Burger King inflatable crowns into the audience, as they thrash about the stage, leaning on one another for Home With You before the instantly recognisable intro of Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart, sending fans wild. But if unorthodox covers weren’t enough – how about a mashup with The Beatles’ Come Together with the slickest of transitions?
The back end of the set saw some potential upcoming releases, providing the quartet the chance to test out some new music to see how it landed, and the rambunctious crowd was enough evidence to suggest pretty damn well.
Talking to the Night, The Crown’s second and most recent single, completed the set, which is a track that really builds and swells, fans putting their hands together before the wave breaks, drowning the audience in the final, anthemic chorus.
Stoke is quite often the forgotten city when it comes to emerging artists – but grassroots gigs like these prove that these bands won’t bite their tongue any longer. They’re here to make a racket and demand to be heard.
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