WORDS CHRISTIAN GOULD / IMAGES ALEKSANDRA HOGG
It’s 6:30pm and we’re here at a strangely desolate Rock City for a spot of indie nostalgia with The Futureheads! An alternative sanctuary in the heart of Nottingham, Rock City is steeped in musical history and is one of our favourite venues in the Midlands.
The Futureheads are supported by Du Blonde on this tour but they’re also supporting the scene in each city they play with an alternating cast of local openers. Tonight it’s Cucamaras, a self-described “post-something” band from Nottingham. The sound mixing is a bit muddy and the crowd is looking fairly sparse but it doesn’t stop them going for it as though they were playing to a sold out audience. It’s only a short 25 minute opener but it looks as though they’ve done enough to impress some of the early attendees.
The looming presence of a Rock City club night and a strict 10pm curfew means that there’s a quick turnaround between bands and it’s soon the turn of Du Blonde. Beth Houghton is the creative force behind Du Blonde, a genre-straddling project in music as therapy, but they’re joined tonight by an entourage of session musicians. There’s a nervous, anxious energy about the performance but it get’s the job done in terms of hyping the crowd.
Rock City has finally filled up with the largely middle-aged crowd of 30 and 40 somethings arriving for the headliners. The Futureheads take to a stage which is minimally dressed with a single “The Futureheads” backdrop before kicking off tonight’s set with “The Beginning of the Twist”. Energetic with an eminently chantable chorus, the opener from „This Is Not The World” works just as well as a live opener.
From ‘The Beginning’ we go into “Struck Dumb” from 2010s The Chaos, gang vocals amplifying a message about the impact of negativity and misery. Before the band launch into one of the first tracks from their eponymous 2004 debut album the crowd are treated to their first anecdote of the evening. One of the strengths of The Futureheads live is their ability to shrink larger venues and make you feel as though you’re watching them in an intimate setting. They aren’t rushing their way through a setlist nor are they riffing through the usual stock live lines. Barry and Ross talk directly to the Rock City faithful and it’s a personal touch which elevates this gig.
It’s a well structured setlist with songs progressing in intensity and tempo, the crowd are gradually shaking off their middle-aged rust and as “Radio Heart” gives way to “Meantime” there are the first signs of movement from the centre of the crowd. A furiously aggressive rendition of “Area” from News and “Tributes” gets fists pumping before a mid-set breather in the form of acapella cover, “Beeswing”, from Rant. It’s an impressive vocal demonstration live with Barry and Ross trading dueling stanzas while the crowd attempts to support with offbeat clicking..
The 2nd half of the setlist is focused on earlier material with “A to B”, “Carnival Kids” and “Skip to the End” all making an appearance. It’s finally time for Futureheads biggest hit, Kate Bush‘s “Hounds Of Love” ironically a cover version, but still beloved by the Rock City crowd who are split in two and accompany the band with vocalisations. As the chorus hits, the crowd are clearly transported back 20 years ago to 2005 when the post-punk revival was at it’s peak. It’s a testament to the power of music and nostalgia.
There is a planned encore but, much like post-punk, the All Music crew are also rapidly aging and we take the chance to slip out and head home. It’s been a fantastic show from a band who seem to be in their element when playing to an audience.
Setlist:
1. The Beginning of the Twist
2. Struck Dumb
3. Decent Days and Nights
4. Radio Heart
5. Meantime
6. I Can Do That
7. Area
8. Worry About It Later
9. Beeswing
10. Skip to the End
11. Heartbeat Song
12. Good Night Out
13. A to B
14. Carnival Kids
15. Hounds of Love
16. First Day
17. Old Dun Cow
18. Man Ray
FOLLOW THE FUTUREHEADS
FOLLOW CUCAMARES
FOLLOW DU BLONDE
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
