SNAYX + MONAKIS + GNARLAH – GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTON 29.1.22
SNAYX are on an upward trajectory right now. The punky alt rock duo, originally from Seaford and now based in Brighton, have won many friends with the ferocious intensity of their energetic live performances. Staunch supporters of the local scene at grassroots level, it is fitting and particularly satisfying that they have secured a string of increasingly impressive support slots, and have now progressed to headline shows of their own. The only thing better than topping the bill is putting a “sold out” banner across it, which is exactly what they have done for tonight’s show at Brighton’s Green Door Store, with the last available tickets gone a week ago.
The Green Door Store is situated in the arches under the railway station. Like many live venues in the city, it functions as a nightclub later on, so shows tend to finish early enough to catch a train home, if you’re not planning to stay out all night. The 170 capacity live room is a former goods yard and retains its alarmingly uneven floor of stone setts, which are like cobbles but brick shaped rather than round. Whatever it’s called, I wouldn’t care to fall on it. There’s usually a great atmosphere here, and tonight in particular, the place is absolutely buzzing.
First up are Gnarlah, a local three-piece who play a lively sort of modern contemporary rock. They have a co-ordinated look going on, all in black clothing with white decoration. Bassist Travis, grinding away on a white Precision, has his long hair dyed two tone and swept back, whilst guitarist Ren has a nascent “A Flock Of Seagulls” underway, and is getting busy on a black Mustang. Drummer Jacob is dishing out a proper thumping to the rack and floor toms.
In terms of the music, if you imagine the guitarist from Muse guesting with Royal Blood you won’t be too far away from the overall sound. There are strong vocal hooks on ‘Bow Down’ and ‘Fix Me’, and ‘Follow Me’ goes full rock with interesting rhythmic variations and some seriously impressive speed riffing. They save the best for last though, and set closer ‘Slave’ stands out a mile with an excellent progression and a catchy harmony vocal hook. It must have caught on with someone, as I noticed earlier that it had somehow clocked well over a million plays on Spotify. Even the venue techs are onboard, triggering a photon storm of strobe lighting at the climax of the set. It’s going to be a cracking evening, and we’re off to a good start.
Gnarlah are:
Ren Woods – vocals/guitar
Travis Powers – bass/vocals
Jacob Andrews – drums
Gnarlah setlist:
‘Sirens’, ‘Bow Down’, ‘Fix Me’, ‘Follow Me’, ‘Alone’, ‘Creeper’, ‘Mother’, ‘Slave’
www.facebook.com/Gnarlahofficial
Next up are Monakis, another Brighton trio. Their manically punky sound has made them a popular fixture on the local scene, and they have been extensively reviewed by this publication. A brief chat before the show revealed they are debuting some new material, which I’m looking forward to hearing. It’s always a good sign when the strap pin alone can’t be trusted, and guitarist Aaron is wrapping plenty of gaffer tape to ensure his white Jazzmaster remains attached. Bassist James, slinging a gold Fender Jazz, is shirtless before the set even starts, and his mop of curly blonde hair is sticking out from under a Breton cap. Aaron has adopted a similar line in headgear, and he and drummer Joe are both practically attired in black vests.
The set launches with ‘Driptease’, a single from last year, introduced by an urgently pounding floor tom whilst Aaron unleashes howls and swoops of phased guitar. ‘Disease’ opens with a naggingly bouncing two-note bass intro, then moves up several gears into a furious explosion of righteous indignation. If you imagine IDLES going at full tilt, you’re close to the vibe. Needless to say, out here in the crowd, things are getting pretty lively too. The extreme vigour of the mosh has pushed the less enthusiastic participants to the densely packed sides, leaving a more sparsely populated central circle with scope for building considerable momentum. The stone setts are wet and slippery by now, and all but the most sure-footed dancers are frequently sent sprawling. As ever, there are plenty of willing hands to right the fallen, and it’s all good natured fun.
There’s a noticeable change of pace for the first section of ‘Radio Is Dead’, which is new to me at least. The beat is ponderously slow and super heavy, with an air of menace accentuated by James’s anguished wails. A transition phase of catchily tuneful harmony vocal overlaid with a high lead guitar ushers in a maximum velocity playout, and the crowd goes absolutely berserk.
‘Fake News’ is another former single with an urgent rhythm of tumbling triplets and a satisfying air-punching chanted hook. One of the more exuberant moshers launches a beautiful arcing dive from the stage, but his fellows are too thinly spread to successfully arrest his fall. He clatters head first onto the stones, and I’m fully expecting an enforced hiatus for a medical emergency, but with a few shakes of his sore bonce he’s back up and returned to the fray.
‘Screw Loose’ is introduced as the next single, its thrashy, punky rhythm punctuated by stops and a shouted vocal hook. It’s catchy as anything, and should do well. I recognise the growling bass intro of ‘White Rabbit’, though set closer ‘Punished’ is new to me. It’s pretty brisk, with another triplet-based riff, and culminates in a tasty breakdown of pushed hits and howling guitar. Monakis are phenomenal live, and are always well worth seeing if the opportunity presents.
Monakis are:
James Porter – bass/vocals
Aaron Butler – guitar/vocals
Joe Mctaggart – drums
Monakis Setlist:
‘Driptease’, ‘Disease’, ‘Radio Is Dead’, ’Fake News’, ‘Screw Loose’, ‘White Rabbit’, ‘Punished’
An audio montage of snake-themed film dialogue heralds the impending arrival of our serpentine heroes, and it’s time for SNAYX. As usual, the dynamic duo are supplemented for live work by the supremely capable session sticksman Josh Caplin. Bassist Ollie sports close cropped hair and a white vest. The output of his Jaguar bass is routed through a massive board of effects. Charlie opens the set just on vocals, a white Telecaster on its stand, ready for action. He wears his trademark Fred Perry cycling top, funnel necked with a bold red and green stripe, and is agitatedly prowling the stage reciting the sorry tale of ‘Work’, notable for its in-character recreation of an unsuccessful loan application.
The room is properly packed by now, and there is rather less scope for lateral movement or uneven crowd distribution, which is a relief as the atmosphere is absolutely electric. Charlie straps on his guitar and launches into the ludicrously infectious riff and hook of recent single ‘Cigarette’, which sets off more frenzied dancing. Ollie alternates between whipping up the crowd and engaging them with his famously mesmeric snake-eyed stare. The sound is absolutely massive, augmented by additional samples, and there must be an octaver involved as some of the low end notes on ‘Deranged’ are gut-wrenchingly deep.
Charlie’s guitar is back on the stand for ‘Weaponized’, a stunning piece that moves through various phases like a mini rock-opera on bass. There are flurries of clipped notes played high up the neck, and a whole section on open strings, with Ollie using his free left hand to orchestrate a massive bounce that’s underway in the crowd, driven by the jolting militaristic drumming. There’s no let up. ‘Body Language’, a former single with an insanely catchy hook and an irresistible lilting rhythm, has us all stomping along and ‘False Friends’ is another absolute banger, propelled by an unyielding four-note bass riff.
The guys have been passing a bottle of tonic wine around on stage. Alcohol with a high caffeine content is the sort of fuel you need for this sort of crazy caper. Appropriately enough, the final song of the main set is called ‘Buck’, and it motors along at a suitably brisk pace. There’s so little doubt of an encore being played that it takes a while to get a chant going. The band returns with the ferociously menacing ‘Drill’, which has its own bizarrely incongruous introduction, a cheesy sample of Vengaboys’ ‘We Like To Party’. There’s also an excellent cover of Slowthai’s ‘Doorman’.
The very last number of the night has to be something special, and by a process of elimination it’s going to be ‘FAYX’. The band are joined by a shirtless dancer in a rather grotesque latex snake mask that covers his whole head. I note that he still doesn’t look quite as snakey as Ollie. The dancing is as full on as you might imagine. Ollie sets a loop going, and puts down his bass, and he and Charlie both crowd surf right around the room, borne aloft by the many willing hands of an ecstatic audience. Charlie gets a bit of a circle pit going, with himself as the main protagonist, and the final surreal and frankly nightmarish vision of the evening is of the snake-headed dancer skimming across the top of the crowd at some speed.
From the moment I first encountered SNAYX I had a strong feeling that they had the potential to make it big. On the basis of tonight’s show, their time could be coming quite soon. Watch out!
SNAYX:
Ollie Horner -bass/vocals
Charlie Herridge – vocals/guitar
Josh Caplin – drums
SNAYX setlist:
‘Work’, ‘Cigarette’, ‘Deranged’, ‘Weaponized’, ‘Body Language’, ‘False Friend’, ‘Buck’, (encore) ‘Drill’, ‘Doorman’ (Slowthai cover), ‘FAYX’
Find out more by visiting snayx.com
