Slowcoaches @ Maguire’s Pizza Bar 7/12/2016

Slowcoaches debut album, Nothing Gives was released last week and the band came to Liverpool to showcase their first LP on Wednesday night.

Maguire’s Pizza Bar saw Slowcoaches bring their debut album, Nothing Gives to the city, with a handful of local bands for support.

It was an intimate set up with the small crowd being able to get up close to the bands while they performed. First on the night were trio, Stadt Skull, kicking the night off with lyrics to keep you grounded, intense riffs while mixed with heavy bass. The band had the attention of the early arrivers of the night with a short but sweet set, ending it with their latest release that’s been accompanied with a Halloween-esque video, ‘Hot Dogs Kill Cars‘.

 [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz7MNE0s8Dk]

Up next were Pardon Us, adding a Scouse touch to punk, with the local lingo intwined with their fast-paced rhythm alongside the realist approach of Liverpool, their set was fun and pulled the crowd in as the night continued to build with excitement.

The set wasn’t without it’s technical difficulties as frontman, Morgan Brown snapped one of the strings of his guitar midway through the performance,  which sparked an impromptu jazz combo between the drummer and bass player while Morgan went from lead guitarist to roadie, replacing the broken string.

We may have lost a few songs from the set as result but the high energy definitely stayed with us. With the latest single by Pardon Us, ‘Fumin’‘ resonating with a lot of people who’ve experienced nights out in Liverpool that have ended with tempers boiling over.

It wasn’t the last we’d see from Morgan, as he was no sooner away from the mic before being back again, this time swapping his guitar for drums as his other band, Down and Outs were up next.

A band that have been around for a long time now, Down and Outs showcased why they’re a the heart of Liverpool’s punk scene. With each band helping build up the excitement on the night, Down and Outs followed suit with the crowd totally engrossed, it seemed no one was able to keep still as the band tore through their set at a ferocious tempo, playing songs from their 2013 record Lifeline, as well as fan favourites from their back-catalogue.

It seemed though that the drummer was jinxed when issues cropped up for him again, with his bass drum having to be repositioned and blocked to prevent it from falling while playing. Not as severe as a broken guitar string but a hinderance nonetheless.

The set came to an explosive end, playing themselves out with an ode to their genre that will never grow old, ‘Forever Punk‘ brought an end to a fine display of local talent, leaving us with the main act to come.

Their debut album, Nothing Gives is barely a week old, yet Slowcoaches put a show on that felt they’d been around a lot longer. They performed with a swagger and boldness that some bands take years to find.

Grabbing attention all over the country for songs like ‘Ex Head‘ and latest single ‘54‘, The Leeds trio put on an in your face performance showing exactly why their first record is receiving accolades from all over the country.

Frontwoman and bass player, Heather Block’s distinct voice grips you with her lyrics that give the feeling that these songs on display are personal, fully invested in sharing

these tracks with the crowd, the loud and boisterous set made sure you didn’t look away.

The night closed in spectacular fashion with ‘Norms & Values‘, what was a breathless performance that wasn’t lacking excitement from start to end, the aggressive and hard-hitting track led to Heather losing herself in the moment with an extended solo as she dropped to the ground in front of the crowd, kicking the air, continuing to play the bass without a care in the world. And who could blame her? Their first album is out and currently in the midst of the tour in support of its launch. Right now, Slowcoaches are having fun and that’s what made this set great as those watching fed off their energy.