The Brighton & Hove News music team are always on the scout for exciting new acts, and we certainly discovered a number of top quality acts during this year’s Great Escape new music festival. One of these being GANS, who we managed to catch a couple of times.
The 19th September will be a monumental day for the band as that’s the date that they will be dropping their debut album. It’s titled ‘Good For The Soul’ and they sure are! Here’s our two accounters of our first encounters with them:
GANS at TGE Beach Soundwaves 14.5.25
Birmingham noisy garage-punk duo Euan Woodman and Thomas Rhodes, known as GANS, played at TGE Beach Soundwaves. The venue was a small covered marquee. During the soundcheck, you instantly knew this performance was going to be a loud one. Euan was on drums and vocals, with Thomas on bass and vocals. Six of the eight tracks played were released material. The first, 2023’s ‘WHAT YOU MEAN’, featured Euan on lead vocals. It starts off with some striking bass playing, Euan then lets out a shriek, the drums kick in, and we are off and running. Next, we get a trio of 2024 releases. For ‘TALK TO MUCH’, Euan comes down to the front of the stage and over the barrier separating the crowd from the photography pit to join the audience. He returns to his drum kit for the third song of the set, ‘IN TIME’. Thomas takes over on vocals for this one. Next, we get the excellent ‘DIRTY COWBOY’. This one gets the crowd jumping. The unreleased ‘IT’S JUST A LIFE’ is next, then it’s the latest single and set highlight ‘I THINK I LIKE YOU’. This one I like a lot. Surprisingly, there is no mosh pit action going on. We are then asked by Thomas if we know how to spell, as it’s time for another 2024 release ‘BUSINESS’. This song closes with a bit of Tag Teams’ ‘Whoomp! There It Is’. The final song of an entertaining set is another unreleased one ‘THE KINGS HEAD’, which has the crowd singing along to the line “We all find ourselves in the pub”.
(Ian Holman)
GANS at Unbarred Brewery, Brighton 15.5.25
I hadn’t planned to see GANS at Unbarred Brewery, but I was already at the venue and had a natural gap in proceedings and decided to stay for their set – and I’m glad I did as this was a fabulous performance. Black Country duo Euan Woodman (drums) and Tom Rhodes (guitar, electronics) performed a jaw-dropping set of explosive hard-hitting raw punk energy melded with a touch of humour, their dual vocals and acoustic power making it hard to believe it was just two people. We even had a crowd walkabout from Euan and some audience participation for their track ‘BUSINESS’. This isn’t my usual type of music, but these lads are fantastic live performers with an engaging style and Euan’s frantic and powerful drumming is sublime – highly recommended.
(Martin J. Fuller)
In support of their forthcoming long player, ‘Good For The Soul’ (which can be pre-ordered HERE), GANS have announced a 7-date UK tour which opens here in Brighton at the popular Green Door Store courtesy of JOY. promoters. Tickets for this concert are available HERE.
GANS tour dates:
2nd September: BRIGHTON – Green Door Store
3rd September: LEEDS – Oporto Leeds
4th September: BRISTOL – The Louisiana
5th September: NOTTINGHAM – The Bodega
6th September: BIRMINGHAM – Mama Roux’s
9th September: LONDON – The Lexington
10th September: MANCHESTER – YES
Tickets for all tour dates are available HERE.
Support on the tour will come from Hungry.
