Photo Credit: Benji Charles
Supporting GANS on this whip around the UK was London art-rock band Voka Gentle, with some experimental, theatrical sounds. They were really difficult to pinpoint any which way, floating between industrial soundscapes to delicate pop harmonies, sometimes all within the same song. This is clearly a band for those that love to be kept on their toes with technical prowess and an open-minded approach to genre. 7/10
There’s nothing better on a rainy Saturday evening than techno-punk beats and raucous DIY sounds. Enter GANS – one of Birmingham’s most exciting recent exports who have gone from tearing up small hole-in-the-wall venues to supporting indie legends The Vaccines and equally tearing up those bigger venues before Justin Young and co. even get a look in.
The boys are back and this time they’ve gone from a duo to a trio – introducing multi-instrumentalist Tommy Lawther on sax and flute. His introduction to the band provides something that nobody knew GANS needed, dialling up the fun by a noticeable margin. Lawther gave a very clear statement with his performance: flutes are punk.
Their thumping drum lines combine seamlessly with heavy synths and punchy lyrics to create a shockwave of energy, jolting the room into movement. It’s punky, it’s funky and it’s a whole lot of fun. Fans can dance, yell, punch the air and lose themselves to the band’s frenetic, rocket-fuelled performance, powered by maximalist sounds full of soul and huge atmospheres.
It’s so clear that the boys are absolutely buzzing to be where they are right now. In between tracks they egged the audience on in excited black country speak that while not always understandable to the untrained ear was always easily translated in energy. Throughout the night, they continually called on fans to chant back at them, join in and mosh. Rescue Rooms was more than happy to oblige, even when it came down to a stage dive gone wrong from Euan Woodman. At one point, Tom Rhodes said “We really needed this,” making it clear that for them, letting loose and going wild on stage is like therapy to them. It was also so lovely that the band not only shouted out their newest onstage collaborator, but also their tour manager and their sound mixer – bringing them into the celebration.
GANS ended the night on fan-favourite The King’s Head, with the whole crowd chanting “We all find ourselves in the P.U.B.” over and over and over again. Truly, a full contact sport, as all gigs like this should be. These guys are masters of live performance, going from strength to strength and it’s only the beginning. They’re headed straight from this tour to supporting Pixies, alongside a summer of festival appearances and it’s clear to see that they’re more than warmed up to take on the world. 9/10
Written By: Izzy Morris
