Words by Ed King / Pics from Rob Hadley (Indie Images)
Remember, remember the 6th of November; Garage, Grunge & Punk Rock. Or thereabouts.
As the cheap smoke, sulphur and cremated hedgehogs of another Fireworks Night began to dissipate, The Rainbow Courtyard & Cellar played host the Birmingham date of Protomartyr’s UK tour, with a bevy of bands in support both upstairs and down.
Out across these green and pleasant lands, Protomartyr have traversed the pond to promote their third studio album – the widely well received The Agent Intellect.
Lining up a few of the great, good and just plain raucous, The Rainbow offered a bellyache of smorgasbord support with Tigercub, The Hungry Ghosts, Youth Man + Ghosts of Dead Airplanes.
Rob Hadley was there for Birmingham Review, squeezing the two floors of disdain, reverb and distortion into one extra full edition of THE GALLERY.
For a proper butchers, and with a short intro into each act on the bill, click on the relevant links below:
Protomartyr @ The Rainbow 06.11.15
Formed in 2008, this Detroit Post Punk four piece are now three albums deep – with the release of The Active Intellect coming out via the Sub Pop born Hardly Art Records in October. Using the powerful protest of Punk to explore the dualism of mind/body is not the most obvious step forward, even for a band named after St Stephen.
But response to The Active Intellect has widely praised the album’s ‘brutal, urgent music’ steered by Joe Casey’s ‘Joycean grasp of detail and narrative’ – a front man clearly with something to say, and one not scared to look in before out. Backed by a band recruited to deliver three albums in fours years. Oh to be a fly on the wall of that tour bus once they hit Rotterdam.
For more on Protomartyr, visit http://www.protomartyrband.com
Tigercub – supporting Protomartyr @ The Rainbow 06.11.15
Having recently supported home turf buddies Royal Blood across various UK dates, Tigercub stepped in as main support to Protomartyr’s Birmingham date. But not always the bridesmaid, this Brighton three piece are foot stamping out a few headline spots across November – sharing the bill, as at this gig, with Youth Man. Brash, bold, and more Tiger than Cub, they’ve got some pretty awesome t-shirts n’all.
For more from Tigerclub, visit https://soundcloud.com/tigercub
The Hungry Ghosts – supporting Protomartyr @ The Rainbow 06.11.15
A rapidly rising Birmingham Review favourite, nepotism be damned, The Hungry Ghosts are Garage Rock on a stick. Currently breaking in a new drummer, the Brimmie-ish four piece are getting tighter and tighter – each gig oozing the kind of confidence that makes you wet, jealous or wishing you’d learned to play the guitar instead of doing all that Acid. Bastards. But check them out – The Hungry Ghosts are all kinds of awesome.
For more from The Hungry Ghosts, visit http://thehungryghosts.co.uk/
Youth Man – supporting Protomartyr @ The Rainbow 06.11.15
Results are still coming in, but Youth Man could be the loudest band in Birmingham. Last seen by Birmingham Review at the One Beat Festival in July, this Brummie three piece are a force of musical nature; there are Canadian geese with shell shock still wandering round Cannon Hill Park. As mentioned, Youth Man are currently out on the road with Tigercub – in case you have transport, disposable income and any hearing left.
For more from Youth Man, visit https://youthman.bandcamp.com/
Ghosts of Dead Airplanes – supporting Protomartyr @ The Rainbow 06.11.15
Short, punchy and prone to random acts of aggressive surprise (think Randall from Scrubs) Ghost of Dead Airplanes have been riding the crest of their debut EP since Halloween. Released on DIY Records, with distribution from Cargo, the cunningly titled The Yellow EP (its yellow… with a teradactil) was set free into the land of the living on the eve of All Hallows Eve. You’re going to run either to it or from it, but it’ll probably chase you whichever way you go.
For more from Ghosts of Dead Airplanes, visit https://www.facebook.com/GhostsOfDeadAirplanes/
For more from Rob Hadley (Indie Images) visit https://www.facebook.com/photosbyindieimages
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For more from The Rainbow, visit http://www.therainbowvenues.co.uk/
For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/
