Way back in 2006 Bromheads (then trading as Bromheads
Jacket) briefly flirted with fame and fortune thanks to a bit of a top 10
single (they provided the B side to The Streets’ When You Wasn’t Famous) and the
odd comparison or two to fellow Sheffielders The Arctic Monkeys. A couple of
albums followed, spawning some great singles of their own but, as is so often
sadly the case, they just didn’t get the recognition or following they deserved. Resisting
the temptation to...ahem...’jacket’ in following the loss of bassist Jono in
2010 the remaining duo, Tim and Dan, hunkered down and cranked out an impressive 12 singles
in as many months, dropping the Jacket bit of their name in
recognition of their new leaner, meaner incarnation. Then things went quiet.
Very quiet. For a good two years in fact the world was a Bromheads free zone.
But, like some garage rock chrysalis, they were locked away somewhere, mutating,
sprouting hair, growing wings...
First up though local boys and rock‘n’roll
revivalists The RebelBeats. Firmly entrenched in the 50s they certainly look
the part, all black leather, curled lips and Brylcreemed hair (all but one of
them any way...maybe his leathers were being rewaxed or something). Despite
being born four decades or so after the birth of rock‘n’roll they manage to
capture some of that fizzing electricity that kicked the whole thing off too.
Of course it can be fiendishly difficult to avoid turning this sort of material
into some kind of musical themepark or karaoke bar crash but, as with most
things in life, conviction’s the key and the band’s lead singer certainly
attacks the songs with real balls, hollering and growling in all the right
places. Impressive lead guitarist too.
Time then for Bromheads' return and just seconds in
to opening track The Money (taken from new album Choro) it’s clear that the
years away from touring and playing live haven’t been spent watching Bargain
Hunt or reorganising their sock drawer. In fact rather than seeming rusty and
outta shape...which would be entirely forgivable, after all it’s 5 years since
their last major tour...they’re like a pair of wild alley cats suddenly
released from a plastic Spar carrier bag (biodegradable, naturally). Dan
attacks the drums with such pent up energy that bits fly off them whilst Tim
cranks out dirrrrrrttty primal garage rock, spitting lyrics and howling like a
macaque monkey on heat. It’s fucking glorious. Any lingering doubts that this
is perhaps the last throw of the dice for one of indie’s also rans are
instantly dismissed as they go on to breathe new life into old favourite
Woolley Bridge, again rabidly attacking the thing with a passion. New single
Gonna Let Them Melt slows the pace a little but not the energy. It’s a
firecracker, fizzing gently at first as the fuse burns before exploding
violently into life. Boom! Garage rock at its very best, raw and gutsy but with
that unique British edge that the band bought to the table back in the day.
There’s plenty of between song banter and chat from
Tim (now resembling a 70’s rocker rather than the more indie kid look of old) as
the night progresses and his self deprecating sense of humour’s worth the price
of a ticket alone. Ask him the story of his Gibson ’76 guitar if you get the
chance. Sure, this isn’t the biggest venue they’ve played and it’s not a sell
out, but screw that, the people that were here were loving every single second
of it and that, ultimately, is what makes a great night.
The more reflective Poppy Bird (from 2006’s fine debut
album Dits From The Commuter Belt) is lyrically worthy of Sir Billy Bragg
whilst the urban meltdown of Trip To The Golden Arches (from the same vintage) is
every bit as addictive 7 years on from its first outing. Ending with arguably
their biggest track to date, a turbo charged blast through What If’s and Maybe’s,
Tim uses the base drum to launch himself dangerously close to The Rainbow’s
ceiling, a fitting final act perhaps for a band that – if there’s any justice
in this big, bad old world – finally look set to reach the heights they truly deserve.
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