WORDS AND IMAGES BY DESH KAPUR
Jack Cochrane Voice Sounds Haunting As He Starts To Sing The Opening Verse.
I first saw The Snuts at Skeleton Coast Festival a few years back now, and I was immediately smitten. Since then I have seen them a few times, reviewed their debut long player and nothing has changed – I’m still their biggest fan.
The Snuts are a Scottish indie rock band formed in 2015, originating from West Lothian, Scotland. The band consists of Jack Cochrane (vocals and guitar), Joe McGillveray (guitar), Callum ’29’ Wilson (bass) and Jordan ‘Joko’ Mackay (drums).
When I was confirmed to photograph and review their sold-out headline show at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, I was over the moon.
Arriving just before The Snuts were about to take the stage, it was hard not to notice the fine white screen draped in front of the stage…. interesting?! Tonight, there would be no pit for photographers, due to the screen, and apparently there’s pyros as well. So, it was shoot from the crowd tonight. I found myself the best spot I could and settled in, ready for the band.
The intro starts and the recognisable voice of Billy Connolly echos round the room, with a narrative about what it is to be Glaswegian, and we can see the silhouettes of the band on the other side of the screen, taking their positions on the stage. Then the guitar-picking intro of “Glasgow” starts to reverberate around the venue and the noise levels rise, lead singer Jack Cochrane’s voice sounds haunting as he starts to sing the opening verse. Still the band are behind the big white screen, then, as the whole band kicks in, the screen drops to reveal the band dressed in blue graffiti-painted boiler suits and the whole venue bursts into life, with pyrotechnics to kick off their high energy set.
They flow straight into one of my personal favourite tracks, “All Your Friends” with it’s guitar-plucking and walking-bass intro before it grooves and trips, a la The Artic Monkeys “Brianstorm” but with a big punchy chorus. “Juan Belmonte”, “Boardwalk”, follow. The latter is slow and brooding, which lets you fully appreciate all the nuances and texture in Jack Cochrane’s voice. “Top Deck” quickly follows by this time the venue is a sea of bouncing, dancing bodies.
Jack’s interaction with the crowd is minimal, but it’s enough. He stops long enough to tell everybody if you dream it, it can come true…. and then it’s back into it with “Coffee and Cigarettes”, which incorporates the classic big beats sound of tracks like “Praise You” by Fat Boy Slim. “Don’t Forget it Punk” is a nice spikey bit of garage indie/rock, with a classy nod to bands like The Ramones and then “Maybe California” leads us back into that groove-driven indie.
By now the whole of the Ritz is going off as the band launch into their high octane, four on the floor, indie banger and new single “Burn the Empire”. This is a big, big track! “Elephants” is next before the band launch into their recent Radio 1 Breakthrough single “Somebody Loves You”. It feels a lot harder live than it does on record, but it maintains that slightly Caribbean feel; such an uplifting track with a totally infectious chorus. They keep up the pace with “No Place I’d Rather Be”, “Seasons” and then “What’s Going On” brings the set to an end, in just the way it started, high octane indie.
The band come back on for the obligatory encore in the form of “Baillie Street” and “Sing For your Supper” and the band thanks the hot and sweaty crowd and the crowd roar their appreciation back.
Tonight, was brilliant, the band were brilliant and the crowd at the O2 RITZ were just as brilliant, playing their part in making the evening very special indeed. Jack Cochrane’s voice is something to behold; he is without doubt is one of the best singers I have heard in a long while. The band is tight, and they write great songs, so if you like your bands to have Indie cool, melody, big choruses and soaring vocals then this is the band for you.
SET LIST
1/ GLASGOW
2/ ALL YOUR FRIENDS
3/ ALWAYS
4/ JUAN BELMONTE
5/ BOARDWALK
6/ TOP DECK
7/ COFFEE AND CIGARETTES
8/ DONT FORGET IT (PUNK)
9/ MAYBE CALIFORNIA
10/ BURN THE EMPIRE
11/ ELEPHANTS
12/ SOMEBODY LOVES YOU
13/ NO PLACE ID RATHER BE
14/ SEASONS
15/ WHATS GOING ON
ENCORE
16/ BAILLIE STREET
17/ SING FOR YOUR SUPPER
FOLLOW THE SNUTS
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 and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
