Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. 18th April 2024

On nights like this it can be hard to grasp who the real star of the show is; the headline act, which in this case is The Lilacs, or the venue itself – the wonderful Brudenell Social Club. There can’t be many places where you can see three quality up and coming bands for £12, watch the football on tv in between sets, snatch a game of snooker or pool and get a quality pint for a touch over £3. On a Thursday! If you’ve never been to a gig here I’d urge you to go…it’s run wonderfully well, has a somewhat legendary status with many a now well known act graduating here and ultimately, there’s absolutely nothing to dislike about the place. In fact, it’s pretty special.

On the night we were in a packed Community Room whilst Jane Weaver was commanding the stage next door in the main room. Did I forget to mention that there were 2 concert spaces? Yet another reason to visit! As a somewhat ‘frequent flyer’ to the Brudenell I’d not often seen it so full and so loaded with anticipation. All were here to see a trio of bands who are growing in status on the new music scene.

http://www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk

First up were The Avelles, all the way from Menston. If you don’t know the place then I’m not really too surprised. It’s a semi rural village on the outskirts of Leeds with not too much to write home about other than High Royds (if you know, you know), and some other musical alumni called The Kaiser Chiefs. I’d seen The Avelles last year headlining at Oporto. At the time the lead singer and guitarist (or at least one of them)  Joe Priestly sported a very fetching vest for the evening as a result of a bet. Tonight his attire was a little more conservative, but that’s where the element of restraint ended. The five piece, guitar based outfit have clearly developed their sound and their confidence in the time that has passed. More assured, more in command and more sharp in their musicality. The jangling, yet piercing guitar of Ethan Shaw is still there, as is the pulsing bass work of Joe’s younger brother Will but everything is more tuneful and more harmonic. Priestly (senior) shares both the rhythm guitar work and the vocals with his side kick Charlie Miller, sharing out duties track by track as the set progresses. Their voices compliment each others well, growing in precision as the set flows along. Keeping everyone in check with the sticks is Patrick Doherty who seem d to relish the space afforded to him on the stage compared to that of Oporto.

Their seven song set opened with Honestly before they transitioned into 10.45 where the well synchronised harmony elevated their sound and showcased how effective the shared vocals are for them. After losing a guitar for the semi spoken Shackles Of Prosperity we were treated to a very unexpected cover of Billy Ocean’s Love Really Hurts Without You. Cue a very bemused gathering of teenagers in the audience… We were then exposed to a wonderful rendition of their new single Boys You Meet, out towards the end of April, before they rounded off with numbers intended to make you move and dance, namely Felicity and Thing For Leaving. 

The groundwork put in during 2023 which saw them play Ynot festival as well as selling out Oporto has given them the opportunity to embark on this tour during April and May. 2024 holds much promise for The Avelles. Catch them when you can.

Next to the stage were The Kairos, a band that I’ve loved seeing live on many occasions but have never reviewed, until now. This is another four piece band from the music factory that is Liverpool, where the methodology seems to be for bands to take every musical influence, put them in a blender, turn to 10 and somehow manage to come out with a sound that is distinctly their own yet undoubtedly Merseyside. In the case of The Kairos, however, they seem to have turned it to 11, such is the power behind their craft. Whilst the sound on the surface appears a million miles away, listen carefully and you can definitely hear strains of the city’s most famous exports, the Fab Four.

A smooth transition, a quick tune of the guitars, a change of cymbals and tom, and off we go. It feels like these lads have literally just turned up and played – no set list, no messing – but that would be to belittle the hard work, dedication and hours of practise that go into what is an increasingly refined product on stage. It’s a well rehearsed journey through their track catalogue that results in one of the best live shows out there. 

After their number one fan, Jack, is briefly admonished (with a smile, of course, for fiddling with the band’s stage pedals, things kick off with their most recent release, Suspend. From there on in there’s no chance to look back such is the craft and ferocity of their performance. Front man Tom Dempsey combines guitar and vocals to produce a pitch perfect sound that is full of energy and emotion. He’s fully immersed in what he is doing, pushed along by the pulsing bass of Owen Forrester. There’s literally jaws dropping all around in the audience from those gig goers for whom it’s their first time at seeing the band. Thick Of It follows, something of a fan favourite and everything goes up a notch further somehow. It’s clear that these lads totally understand each other and everything combines perfectly. Much of the pulse comes from the percussion of Sam Bradley, also adding vocal harmonies, with Lewis Chambers complimenting everything with his Will Sergeant esque lead guitar work. 

Better Late Than Never and P.O.P. precede a wonderful moment where the next track, Lazy Lethargic is dedicated to Jack who is, as usual, right at the front. There’s something of a bromance going on between him and Dempsey but more importantly a clear connection between these hard working lads and their fans. This is also shown by the time they spend after their set selling merchandise and talking to fans old and new (of whom there are now many following this performance). Things are rounded off with Teetotal,  but it’s clear that The Kairos could have played on all night. They are loving what they are doing and Dempsey expresses his disbelief at playing the same room as the one he was in a handful of years ago to watch Sam Fender. 

What more is there to say? This is a band with the world at their feet. Every time I see them they get better and are now surely prime for taking things to the next level. It’s hard to believe that they are actually a support act in the first place! These lads can play. They squeeze every inch out of every string, fret, sound board or drum skin to produce something incredibly memorable. I can’t wait to see where things take them next.

The Lilacs are formed of Ollie Anglesea (Singer and rhythm guitar), Sam Birchall (lead Guitar), Dave Gomersall (Drums) and Matt Johnson (Bass Guitar). They’ve been performing as four piece since 2018 and have gained a loyal and adoring fan base. This ‘bucket hat army’ were certainly in force at The Brudenell and in both good spirits and good voice. I’ve seen them before, supporting Andrew Cushin at The Wardrobe, but this was the first time as headliners during their own national tour. 

There is one thing that is immediately obvious in the band’s songs is how the lyrics are crafted. It’s a careful balance of story telling and social commentary, reminisces of everyday life and reflections of experiences. This seems to grab their followers as much as the music does. Indeed, the bucket hats that they were are derived from the lyrics of the band’s song Grace, which is performed (as always) as a dedication to any girl present with that name. There’s also t-shirts in abundance adorned with ‘on the 62’, taken from their first release (and closing number, Vicarage Road. 

Regular followers will be familiar with their stage entrance to the strains of Zoom by Fat Larry’s Band and Gomersall’s drum solo that follows. It builds the suspense before the set is launched by Sally and the crowd join in from the first bar. Animated would be an understatement as the audience move and dance as one. Another favourite, Sticky Dancefloors, is dedicated to anyone watching the band for the first time and is surrounded by Hopeless Romantic and Something Or Nothing amongst others. Their music is well crafted and has edges of many genres; country, indie, ska but with that unmistakable Wigan DNA of the jangling lead guitar of Birchall. It’s a kind of Arctic Monkeys meets The Housemartins vibe which results in something both melodic and accessible. It’s no surprise that they have so many followers and that their reputation is growing. 

We are left with just Anglesea on stage for a brief time so that he can perform When Happy Hour Ends acoustically. The intro to this, however, is a wonderful rendition of The Beautiful South’s Don’t Marry Her which is received by a full audience singalong. With the full band back on stage a stretched version of Red Flags is performed with gusto and accuracy. Act Your Age and Seen It All follow before the band ‘close’ with their new song You’re Not That Daft. Of course, they don’t really end things there and return to finish with the aforementioned Grace and Vicarage Road. 

It’s a fantastic event and great to see them getting a chance to render a full set of their own at length. They clearly got as much from it as their fans, smiles beaming throughout along with some great banter with the crowd. It would be wrong to pick out a highlight from their set but perhaps the moments that may linger longest in the memory are fashion related…or maybe that should be anti-fashion. Throughout the show Gomersall’s attire appeared to be slightly different from that of his stablemates. It transpired that he was wearing a ‘shite shirt’ that had been sent to him by a fan in the audience! Not content with just one, this was changed mid set for a second – of equally poor taste! I guess this just demonstrates how strong the relationship is with their fans and perhaps how all concerned are living out the town’s motto: ‘Progress With Unity’.

Words and pictures by Duncan Grant