The last time I saw this epic band play, was two years ago in Cardiff and what a night that was.
To say I'm excited about the release of 'Hitch', the band's first album for three years (25th March), since the release of 'Wolf's Law', is a total understatement.
These guys are the most down to earth band I have ever had a party to support,, they actually care about their fans and actually do give a fuck whether you go to shows and buy their material.
I've had the opportunity to see these guys on numerous occasions live, and have to admit here, that they were my wife's favourite band after we saw them at Hop Farm Festival in Kent, eons ago, and after I saw them at Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton I was hooked and decided I had to muscle in on the action too, they have subsequently replaced Stereophonics as my favourite band and the rest is history!!.
Their music is pure unadulterated indie rock and I love it, unfortunately they can't do anything wrong in my eyes.
Tonight is the fourth date of The Joy Formidable's mini tour across the UK (before they go gallivanting across the Pond to the US and Brazil for a couple of months of touring), consisting of five dates, starting off in Manchester and ending up in Glasgow, it's a showcase of the new album which I'm excited about, and if the new single 'The Last Thing on My Mind' is anything to go by we're in for a stonking show.
The band always have an amazing chemistry on stage, this always shines through, I love it. They end up taking the piss out of each other and swearing at the audience to get them jeered up, I love their passion and their ferociousness on stage. They are equally good unplugged, having seen this on the Wolf's Law tour with 'Silent Treatment', hopefully they'll do it all again tonight?!
Tonight's gig is in a courtyard at the back of a dingy pub in Birmingham, near the Custard Factory, it's grim and I remember when it was closed down, BUT tonight was about seeing 'Joy Formidable', all I cared about was hearing some new material and having a fabulous time.
The venue tonight was packed to the rafters, a good 300 packed in like sardines, it was gonna be a sweaty one for sure. The only downside to the whole gig was the stage was on the floor so you and the band were in the same eye line, so if some 6 footer stood in front of you, you had no chance in getting a view of the band, this did happen last night, rather sinister how people over 6ft stand in front of you and they don't give a shit whether you can see?!
Going back to basics and this was a gig for the 'real' fans. A £15 quid for a ticket it was the best money I've spent in a long time, so much value for money and quality entertainment, No-one could've grumbled at the epic bargain they had last night, in essence I would've paid double the price of the ticket to see my favourite band in such an intimate setting.
The band graced the stage at 21.10, fancy being ten minutes late (lol), I could feel tonight was gonna be special and it was, it had all the bells and whistles I thought it would, and then some.
A 15 song set, which was blistering and showcased a few new songs from the forthcoming album 'Hitch' due out in March which I'm mega excited about, (And yes I did put my name down for the pre-order last night, and I received a gift from the band – a rare acoustic cd of the new single which was signed by them, I was so chuffed).
The set kicked off with the epic 'Greatest Light' and it got better and better, an hour and 40 minutes of pure unadulterated bliss for my ears.
'Litle Blimp' and epic track 'I Don't Want to See You Like This', I was in my element, so hard to concentrate on snapping when all you wanna do is jump up and down like everyone else at the front.
'This Ladder is Ours' is an amazing track live, totally loved it, then followed up by 'Passerby', which unfortunately isn't included on the new album, very strange, Ritzy did say she thinks they might have fucked up excluding it from the track listing.
Favourite couple of songs for me on the night was eerie 'Silent Treatment', the way they sing it and play it sends shivers down my spine, it's been a long time favourite and the guys just gel so well together, it's pure class, wish they did more of this, maybe an acoustic tour, now that would be something.
One of the welsh songs the guys released last year was truly magnificent live 'Y Garreg Ateb', it's kinda sexy in Welsh, I thought it was a stonker and shows how flexible the band are to sing in both English and Welsh.
I loved the little acoustic piece Ritzy and Rhyd did where they came and sat in the middle of the audience, this is what dreams are made of, shame I couldn't see, but it was all about the experience and that was top dollar, for sure. Guys this section was epic, totally.
The encore was truly magnificent to say the least it started off with 'The Leopard and the Lung', which again was showcased tonight live and was blisteringly good, this led in to 'Cradle' and then showstopper 'Everchanging Spectrum'.
Tonight went like a whirlwind, a truly epic night for any fan, and what an experience. All the banter and the closeness of the band to the crowd was immense, the way they gel together, the song choices, the atmosphere, it's made me so excited for the new album now and to see the guys in May, can't bloody wait.
If you haven't seen this band live, more fool you.
