Live Review - Girl Band + Goat Girl

Last night I attended my first gig of the year at my favourite venue, the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, seeing Girl Band with support from Goat Girl. I managed to catch Girl Band live at Field Day in London last year so I knew in advance that the show was going to high energy from the get go, plus the idea of seeing them in such a small venue just added to the anticipation.

But first Goat Girl, an all female four piece from South London who recently signed to Rough Trade. Prior to the gig I'd only ever heard a couple of songs by Goat Girl, the bands two singles Country Sleaze and Scum which I've had on repeat the last couple of months, so I was intrigued to see the band play a full set. As far as song quality goes, they knocked it out of the park, each song more memorable than the last, however it is the two singles that get the biggest reaction from the crowd. Each songs feels short, snappy and angry. The only negative was that the bands stage presence felt like they were purposely distancing themselves from the crowd, that being said Goat Girl seem like a band who could be destined for big things.

Goat Girl

Half an hour later, Girl Band take to the stage, kicking of the set with fan favourite Paul, things quickly get loud. It really feels like Girl Band are such a one of a kind band, the level of aggression the band put across combined with the unusual way they play their instruments (On a couple of occasions the bassist played with a beer bottle) really makes their live shows something special. The band played for just over an hour only stopping for lead singer Dara Kiely to joke with the audience about ex Leeds United players, there was never a moment where the band didn't completely own the crowd. Big songs such as Pears For Lunch and Lawman where highlights of the set and the band ending on their cover of Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage got the biggest crowd reaction of the night. I urge everyone to go see this band live.

Girl Band

Crywank Interview

The brain child of James Clayton, Crywank formed in 2009 and have managed to collect an ever growing fan base. The band specialises in sad and honest songs played on acoustic guitar. After a great year for the band which has seen them massively increase in popularity, I spoke to James to discuss Crywank. 

Q - How do you describe your own genre?

A - I struggle to put Crywank into a genre. I could tell you the genres of music that influenced me most when I started Crywank, but I'm sure those musicians probably don't define too closely to a genre. I sort of just see myself as someone who writes music on an acoustic guitar and Dan does percussion along with it. Since Dan has moved on to a full kit our live sound has changed a lot more. A lot of people say folk punk but as a genre term it comes with a lot of tropes of it's own which I'd hope wouldn't apply to us. I'd say we where more 'punk folk' than 'folk punk' if that makes sense.


Q - Why did you start Crywank? And what are you aims for the project? 

A - It just started as catharsis. I had a lot of ideas in my head that I had no way of getting out. I didn't expect it to ever go as far as it did, I just wanted to try and start making music and didn't really care anymore if anybody laughed at me even though I wasn't all that great. Now I just want to try and tour, travel and record as much as I can. I still have a lot of ideas trapped in my head that I want to get out in some way.


Q -  Any highlights from this year considering how much your music has been blowing up? 

A - This year has been somewhat of a blur for me. I'm just happy the album got out and that people seemed to enjoy it. I'm happy we're playing more shows again. I don't really know about 2016 as a year. A lot of personal issues and obvious global issues sort of punctuated more than any success with my band.  We've received a lot more attention online which has been great and a lot of fun to read (especially the fan art and memes), it's all been on message boards and blogs ran by individuals, the music press is still yet to recognise our existence. I'm a lot more excited about 2017 than I am nostalgic for 2016.

Q - Where did the name come from?

A - It was a nickname I was given by an old friend. The more I thought about it the more I liked it. It links in with 'le petit mort', it's a pun on the term tearjerk, and I think it's both philosophically and emotionally challenging whilst also being juvenile and puerile, which I guess is sort of the ethos of the band. 

Q -  What is your favourite Crywank release so far? 

A - We have a few bootlegs we have at shows which are just CD-Rs of weird demos we did which we only trade for weed. This has proved helpful with getting weed when we're far from home. I think they're pretty cool though. I'm really proud of tomorrow is nearly yesterday. I was proud to have made the first two albums, but I also have a weird cringy relationship with them when I look back on them. Even though TINYAEIS is maybe a bit too blunt or cheesy at points, it was the first time I felt really proud of an album. Like I'd made something way beyond what I ever thought I could. The first two albums felt like preparation and TINYAEIS was me putting all I could into an album.

'Tomorrow is Nearly Yesterday and Everyday
is Stupid' album cover.

Q - Your favourite songs to perform live? 

A - I like playing Crywank are posers a bunch. I am in great pain please help me is also a lot of fun live. They both sound pretty different to recording when we do them live now. Dan does some blasts in I am in great pain, and he goes a lot heavier on the drums in 'Crywank are posers'. They're the two that make me want to wiggle the most when I play.

Q - What are your plans for 2017? 

A - Release another album. Tour Ireland. Tour the UK. Tour Europe. Tour outside Europe. Release a music video. Record and release a live album. Write album 6. I've just left my job and house to throw myself into the band full time. I'm currently couch surfing and just trying to get everything to do with Crywank organised. It's all a bit of a mess. I don't have files or press releases on a computer and contacts to email or anything. I'm pretty useless in those areas, and i have a tonne of emails and messages on a variety of different social media platforms to respond to. pretty much all i'm trying to say is I intend to be more active. I've broken out of a routine to focus on nothing but this, so i really don't want to fuck it up.