Live Review | BlackWaters // Avalanche Party // FloodHounds @ Record Junkee 2/2/19

Record Junkee has a Successful Night Celebrating Independent Venue Week!

Sheffield’s Record Junkee was one of the 189 small music venues across the country celebrating Independent Venue Week (28th January – 3rd February). Various one-off gigs were held here; with the likes of Lady Bird, Nervous Pills and Estrons. All contributing to the wonderful week-long appreciation of quality artists who were playing each night.

FloodHounds

I knew Saturday’s sold-out gig was set to be a good’un the minute I entered the venue. Greeted by Idles’ ‘Colossus’ echoing from the speakers behind the chatter of the crowd forming. All this before Sheffield-based trio FloodHounds kicked off the night. Think bluesy rock and roll carried through by solid, rocky, crowd-pleasing riffs. They immediately enraptured the venue with the first track ‘Wide Awake’. Followed by their latest, punchy single, ‘Take it Too Far’, delivered effortlessly by Jack (lead vocals, guitar), Lauren (drums) and Joel (bass).

FloodHounds’ eclectic set featured the well-established ‘I Wanna Know’ and ‘The Fear’. This evoked a good old sing-along on behalf of their loyal fan-base. Many of whom were down at the front and responsible for radiating the band’s pure energy. Some riveting debuts of recent and potentially upcoming material including ‘Stepping Stone’ and ‘Something Primeval’. Both of which appeared to go down well with the old (and new) fans; all lucky enough to witness this brilliant show from a great up-and-coming band. Closing track ‘Soulmates’ inevitably got everyone hyped for a night of great music.  

Avalanche Party

Next up were North Yorkshire garage rockers Avalanche Party; bottles of Buckfast in hand, and renowned for their euphoric live performances. The band did not disappoint, with frontman Jordan Bell standing shirtless on-stage, a brooding atmosphere descended for their intro; the words ‘I’m so wet’ repeated rhythmically, before eventually building into a beautiful chaos.

Jordan’s intense stare into the crowd as he delivered lyrics made him stand-out as a frontman. Managing to somehow connect with everyone in the room while simultaneously isolating himself as some sort of mesmerising spectacle. To complement vocals reminiscent of Mark E Smith (The Fall), this intensity was carried through Avalanche Party’s entire set. Each member gave it their all for the duration of the high-octane tunes, all delivered with an untamed and fierce attitude towards their performance.

BlackWaters

Finally, after assembling a very necessary BlackWaters backdrop. Guilford-born and Sheffield-bred ‘punks’ finally made it up on stage to a highly excitable audience. Despite being a band somewhat reminiscent of a Southern, early Arctic Monkeys with fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled lyrics. It was hard not to see a look of Ian Curtis in lead-singer Max; however, this show definitely screamed more of The Clash and John Cooper Clarke as opposed to Joy Division.

Unapologetic and reflective of the punk movement, the impulsive ‘Fuck Yeah’ evoked unfathomable energy from the crowd who chanted fervently with the band. A particular highlight was a lively rendition of their penultimate song ‘People Street.’ Which saw the appearance of a saxophone to compliment one of their classic tunes. An acoustic encore of the mellow track ‘Love is a Future Computer’ saw the band enter the crowd and subsequently elicit a heart-warming chorus of ‘why not try another way…’ echoing throughout the venue to bring their frenzied set to a beautiful yet melancholic close.

It is independent venues such as Record Junkee that are the backbone of the live music scene. They are vital for us to fully appreciate the inevitable upcoming talent that Sheffield and elsewhere has to offer. This week in particular really showcases the wonder of these underground bands and venues. Something really valuable to get behind every week of the year!

Check out the bands below!

FloodHounds– @FloodHounds

Avalanche Party– @avalanche_party

BlackWaters– @BlackWaters_UK

Megan Wood

Self-proclaimed GIN(ger) expert and lover of all things grungey, glittery and groovy. Take me back in time to watch Joy Division.
IDLES are the best thing since chai lattes, I will never get bored of The Smiths, and Arctic Monkeys are the definition of genius.
Plus I’ve never seen Blade Runner, be reyt x