Hastings based Kid Kapichi have been tearing it up hard on their 7 date Big Sexy Tour. Apparently, the owners of the Nottingham venue were a touch fearful for the future of their ceilings given the hammering the building was getting from the mosh. As the Key Club is in the cellar of Leeds Merrion Shopping Centre, taking it too far there might have left a big gaping hole in the centre of the city. While we gave it a very good go, unfortunately that ugly behemoth stands to see another day.

It turned out to be an evening to truly treasure; first up were local lads Fudge on their home turf “comeback” after 18 months kicking their live gig heels. It must have been a hard time for a band who were taking big strides before the darkness came down.

It’s always a joy to see a queue outside the venue before the first act, and Fudge totally put the mosh into the at-mosh-phere at the Key Club. From the off, lead vocalist Cam Hope used humour and his considerable powers of persuasion to galvanise the audience into a good-natured frenzy, with a series of stage divers while the band shared their part-punk part-rap solid tunes. Ultimately the audience couldn’t handle big lad Cam above their outstretched arms, and he dropped into a heap on the floor. Cam explained with a laugh that he had put on a few pounds during the inactive period. The room was buzzing after a bit of Fudge (and the band had even made some real Fudge for the audience – sugar rush baby).

Next up were Projector from Brighton, and they completely kept the audience excitement up, even if it wasn’t quite as mosh obvious. This was a quality set, and the vocals of Lucy Sheehan and Edward Ensbury were lush and tuneful. I think Projector made quite a few new friends this evening.

Finally, it was time for Kid Kapichi and their particular brand of surging, melodic heavy indie. I’ve followed this band for a few years now; they are the real deal and have built up a real rapport with their avid followers.     

Kid Kapichi released their self-produced album This Time Next Year inFebruary, and its general theme is of being poor, the grind of a dead-end job, and the loss of opportunity. The album really is a treasure, and it formed the mainstay of the set list tonight.

Fortunately, Kid Kapichi don’t fall into the preachy trap and the lyrics more tell a story rather than sloganize an opinion on how we should think. Although the music is hard, that leads to a softer, and less dense experience, a gig to enjoy and savour rather than one to endure and feel bitterly earnest about.

Musically Kid Kapichi are in their prime, and the set was quality end to end, with a solid full-on sound and a pulsing beat vibrant enough to make an old man’s heart feel alive. This was a gig that throbs with personal experience and it’s clear Kid Kapichi have done it the hard way. Even with the gig itself there was the inevitable rescheduling nightmares, and then the discovery that Adele had trashed any ideas of tying the gigs in with selling the extended version of the album on vinyl to help fund things.

Despite the hard practicalities it is clear Kid Kapichi are truly alive on that stage, they have a compelling story to tell and do it with style and a beat to die for. I can recommend this band to anyone.

Chris R