LIFE – RESIDENT, BRIGHTON 25.8.22
Life may have stood still for many of us with the pandemic, but LIFE have certainly moved on as a band. Tonight I make the trip to Resident in Kensington Gardens to watch the first instore show I have had the pleasure of attending at this record store.
The last time I saw LIFE play live was on a cold November night in 2019 and it was my gig of that year. Check out my review HERE. Unfortunately I missed last year’s gig at The Green Door Store on 9th December due to a family birthday, but tonight that family member was in tow. I almost hadn’t made this gig either as the original date coincided with the same family member’s graduation, but I was probably one of the few audience members who was grateful for the delay in the release of this new album.
We arrive just after the doors are due to open and join the back of the queue with just two people tagging on behind us before we are let in. We still managed to find a half reasonable spot instore though for anyone who knows me I would obviously have wanted to be right down the front in the face of lead singer Mez rather than behind a row of records.
‘North East Coastal Town’ (which can be purchased from Resident HERE) is the appropriate name of the new album for a band who originate from Hull, and tonight they hit Brighton to promote the record which shows a change in musical direction in which they challenge themselves successfully. Their first album ‘Popular Music’ was fairly political and their second ‘A Picture of Good Health’ was more personal in that it covered mental health. The release of ‘North East Coastal Town’, a record that has been two years in the making and was released on 19th August, is an ode to Hull and the surrounding areas, with the band evolving and maturing further. They show a darker but at the same time passionate side, sometimes slower and intense musically, which I’m certain will make for an even better live show, if that is possible, when blended in with more up-tempo songs from their first two albums. You can be the judge of that when they return to Brighton on Tuesday 11th October to play Patterns on Madeira Drive, a gig I would highly recommend as a must see. You can purchase your tickets from LOUT Promotions HERE or from Patterns HERE.
The band have had a busy few days promoting the new album with instore gigs including three in one day in Leeds on Monday. Today they played in Southsea earlier before travelling along the coast to Brighton for this evening’s final promotional gig.
The band enter from behind the shop counter to a good reception from the audience. Mez immediately opens a bottle of water and rinses his face realising just how warm it is inside the store, unintentionally trying to electrocute his brother on guitar in the process as Stew is quick to mention in jest. It isn’t too long before Mez is regretting his choice of wearing a boiler suit which he refuses to take off as he has a poor choice of t-shirt underneath.
Starting off the evening with ‘Big Moon Lake’, the second single from the album, is the perfect choice and warms up the audience nicely for this intimate gig. I have to give a shout out to the middle-aged couple (Chris the suit!) down the front who are thoroughly enjoying themselves from the word go, as you should do at a gig. The other three single releases from the LP are played faultlessly to end the set.
If you like Fontaines DC then you must have a listen to ‘Friends Without Names’, the superb first single taken from the album. For most bands ending a set with a song as intense as ‘Duck Egg Blue’, described by Mez in a NME interview as the realists love song, would be off limits, but it swept me away without realising as I found myself closing my eyes and listening to the music rather than focusing on the band as I had been doing throughout the rest of the set. I was still in my own little world when the song ended and Mez caught me completely off guard when he announced that it was the last song of the evening. It would be a game changer if they were to end the set on their forthcoming tour with that number though maybe the fans would rather go away on a high with a more upbeat song such as ‘Popular Music’. I look forward to seeing what the band choose.
‘Poison’ and ‘All You Are’, are omitted from the set but everyone in the audience is happy with LIFE after an enjoyable journey through their latest long playing offering. I have to say that ‘Shipping Forecast’ was definitely another of the highlights for me.
In spite of limited space, the band still make every effort to put on an energetic show with Mez regularly walking down the aisle as far as the microphone lead will take him and venturing further afield down aisles one, three and four when taking a break from vocals to engage in some vigorous tambourine playing. Stew occasionally wanders down aisle one though he does seem to stop doing so after I accidentally stand on his lead whilst dancing, but he did smile at me so I presume I was forgiven. He then produces a sudden burst of energy with a quick pogo. Lydia makes the most of her space towards aisle three and you can see her itching to get in amongst the crowd. As for Mick on drums I presume he was having a good time, but it was hard to see with a post in the way. He did get to show off his many talents though with a guitar cameo thrown in. I have to say I was liking the increased use of backing vocals and them being spread throughout the band.
The appreciation of their fanbase is obvious as the fans queue around the shop afterwards for an autograph, chat, photo, or whatever. I had purchased the limited edition ‘dinked’ version, but had opted for home delivery when I originally thought I would be unable to attend, so there would be no signing or wonderful etchings on the inner sleeve, though I did get the CD signed which came with my daughter’s entry to the show. I also got the poster signed and amusingly defaced by the band who don’t take themselves too seriously and are always up for a laugh with the fans. We even reminisced about a previous gig I attended at The Forum Basement (The Sussex Arms) in Tunbridge Wells where barely thirty people were in attendance, as I showed them a photo from that day. As we left Mez and Lydia were only too happy to chat outside in the street with us.
Having supported Kaiser Chiefs at Brighton Centre on 30th January 2020 (Review HERE) and looking destined for bigger things before the pandemic, LIFE really are overdue deserved success in their own right. I urge you to buy this album and make this the year of the DIY underdog. At least tonight they have gained one extra fan in my eldest daughter who is now planning on seeing them at The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on October 4th.
Love LIFE, Love Music!
LIFE are:
Mez on vocals
Stew on guitar
Lydia on bass
Mick on drums
LIFE setlist:
‘Big Moon Lake’
‘Incomplete’
‘Almost Home’
‘Our Love Is Growing’
‘Shipping Forecast’
‘Self Portrait’
‘The Drug’
‘Friends Without Names’
‘Duck Egg Blue’
Find out more by checking out their ‘linktree’ and visiting www.lifeband.co.uk
