When a band has a decent sized crowd at their very first gig, you can be sure of either two things. They either have lots of friends or they’re well connected. Little Fears it seems have both of these boxes ticked, and judging by tonight’s audience, they look set to start their journey into this industry on the right foot.
From the outset the local alternative Indie quartet seem tight, together and focused. To say their performance is strong would be an understatement. Vocalist Luke Parker holds the entire venue captive with his chilling falsetto and yearning gaze. He’s calm, collected and a confident frontman who lets the music do the talking and switches onto the keyboard for a couple of numbers to up the ante.
Guitarist Stuart Rushforth looks dead set on nailing every note, an air of quiet determination on his face. His whammy wails with all of the fevered compassion of a young Johnny Greenwood, and he steals climatic moments without even breaking a sweat.
In-fact Little Fears sound is not too dissimilar from a Bends-era Radiohead. Their set is a strong representation of the potential that lies within these four heads, but they’ve yet to write the flagship song to canonize their sound and give them a solid musical identity.
The crowd hollers as the local lads bow out to make way for tonight’s headliners, Irish two-piece ‘We Cut Corners’. The duo first proved their salt here in Brighton at this years Great Escape Festival, and they once again hold sway over a slightly dissipated audience with their unique songwriting skills. The pair split vocal duties evenly, spinning tales of lost love with lyrics so witty that you can’t help but get drawn into their story.
‘Storytellers’ would actually be a more accurate word to describe this talented two-piece. Songs such as ‘A Pirates Life For Me’ and ‘The Leopard’ balance an ironic child-like naivety with razor sharp self-deprecation, highlighting a quick witted intelligence and twisted stance similar to fellow Irish Folk band ‘Villagers’.
In-between songs though, it’s a different story. With an undeservedly lacklustre reaction from the crowd, the band seem somewhat reserved and keep interaction to a minimum. It’s a shame, but then these lads only recently began cutting their teeth on England’s gig circuit. Once the music loving public know these songs, they’ll surely receive rightful adulation on their return to Brighton.
facebook.com/littlefears
wecutcorners.net
Words by Jimmy Volts
