Band: Set Your Goals
Support: Make Do And Mend, Spycatcher and HildaMay
Venue: The Fleece, Bristol
Date: 23/05/12
The Fleece isn’t perhaps one of Bristol’s most famous venues but it suits this awesome tour down to the ground. Its dingy atmosphere and sweaty surroundings add to the feel of the show. As the sun outside was beaming the first band took to the stage and the venue was buzzing as much as the weather.
Hailing from Kent, this five-piece are not for the faint hearted. If you aren’t already awake and raring to go, then after a few screaming lyrics from vocalist Tim Lawrence, then you certainly will be! After a more than successful year it would seem there is no stopping the HildaMay boys. As they play a few new tracks it is inevitable things are about to get even better, and with belting tunes filing the venue through their entire set list we can only warn you to brace yourself for the band’s next release. To say it is set to be a stonker doesn’t really seem to cover it.
Next up are London boys Spycatcher. If you did not know already HTF are massive fans of these Cockney boys. Their original sounding material is unique and has that addictive flavour to it that certainly gets the crowd going tonight. They are always a dark horse of the line up and with not many people in the audience knowing who they are (we nearly slapped them) it is humbling to see them rocking along come the end of their set list.
With track favourite ‘Don’t Like People’ receiving the biggest reaction of the evening, it is a little annoying that the band are not on for longer. Saying they left us hungry for even more Spycatcher does not even cover it. If you have not yet got your chops around this band then go and get yourself a copy of their album ‘Honesty’: it is a smash!
Next up are one of America’s most promising rock outfits of late, Make Do And Mend. After having a successful year the hype for them around the UK has been growing rapidly. Every rock music lover likes them and the whole industry either knows them or praises the crap out of them. So basically, if you do not know who they are, get in the loop.
The room seems to get slightly cramped as the four piece arrive; the sweatiness gets more intense and the room becomes a sea of excitement. For a young band not even from this country they can only be overjoyed with the reaction that greets them throughout each track they perform. Make sure you watch them live as soon as possible as they are incredible.
Tonight’s line up is so great that every one of the three support bands smashed it and we were so pumped for Set Your Goals that they were just the cherry on top of our cake tonight.
Pop punk is not dead: it is that simple. The fact these guys are still whacking out the epic tunes is proof enough in itself: the crowd go wild throwing themselves around the place, climbing on stage and hanging from the ceiling. At points this is quite hilarious to watch as the band don’t know what to do with themselves. After tonight they can really say they have ‘experienced the UK’.
Stand out tracks of the set list are obviously the last two tracks to be played for usL debut album delight ‘Mutiny’ and second album classic ‘Gaia Bleeds (Make Way For Men)’, with some other beauts slotted in throughout the set for good measure. Overall, the show is epic; a line up to die for by any means!
10/10
Reviewer: Steph Knight
