Drizzle, delays and dingey clubs down cobbled
streets. Futures are headlining Borderline tonight
with a troop of punk-pop support backing them
all the way. Despite the delays and subsequently
missing all of Straight Lines' set - but boy did
it sound bloody great - my luck spun on its head
and I got inside the venue in time for enjoy a
Captain and coke before The Xcerts took to the
stage. Equipped with an ironman set list comprising
of album belters Scatterbrain, Do You Feel Safe
and new single Young, I had high expectations
of this Scottish rock outfit. For me, their set
fell a bit flat and the plaid clad trio seemed
unable to build rapport with their salivating
spectators not send them into a pre-Futures' frenzy.
Band of the moment, Futures sold out this leg
of their debut headline tour in a miniscule three
days. Madness really when this is off the back
of their mini-album, The Holiday. The proof is
in the pudding as the packed out venue swelled,
soared and screamed with each and every beat of
George Lindsay's drum or strum of Casey Roarty's
guitar as the foursome - completed by frontman
Ant West and bassist Christian Ward - blasted
in with 16 and The Holiday, sending hearts racing
in every chest.
As tracks from their free mini-album induces a
wave of beaming faces throughout, new songs Island
In The Sea and forthcoming debut single Oxygen
proved this yearling group to be anything but
a flash in the pan. "Anthem for everyone"
Thank You saw die hard Futureites clap relentlessly
over the bridge and before swiftly and seamlessly
joining in with huge choruses of "I will
take you there, I will take you there". Already
backed by a loyal following, it came as no surprise
that chants of "Boy who cried wolf"
preempted the ender before it was even hinted
at. As the intro riffs kicked in, the circle pits
and unrelenting bouncing ricocheted up to the
mezzanine and beyond. No doubt West's milk crate
karaoke imprinted a memory for many in the pit
as he risked life, limb and face to rock out with
his already adoring fans.
Superb showmanship and song writing nous will
see Futures go far; so make sure you see them
go there. The quartet are as charming and enigmatic
live as you can imagine when you listen to their
studio exploits. What does the future holds for
Futures? Who knows, but I can't wait to take the
ride, see them grow as a band and take more risks
on stage.
Futures - 4/5
The Xcerts - 2/5
Straight Lines - 3/5 (well, they sounded great!)
Review By Jessica Acreman
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