After reading a fair bit about Jaws online in recent months I was excited to see they were playing a gig close enough to me to go to (living in Grimsby means lengthy travel for any decent gigs usually) however even this short journey across the Humber Bridge for me wasn't particularity justified, I mean the lads know what they're doing n'all but there was just something missing as a performance for me. Whether it was because i saw more of the lead singers back due to him turning around all the time or if because i also couldn't hear a single lyric he sang when he did face the crowd, i don't know, just wasn't really 'feeling' it.
There is no doubt that these lads have recorded a beautifully sounding EP with tunes like 'Surround You' and 'Breeze' but to really love a band I personally have to enjoy them live.
My friend and I got chatting to lovely older couple at Leeds Fest last year who said "We've seen loads of acts over the years that just own a stage but you can't listen to them at home but then we have alot of favourite cd's in our car that they are shockingly bad live"...I fear that Jaws will unfortunately be the latter for me.
The support bands however I would have driven over the bridge several times for!
Affairs and Le Bete Blooms both gave it their all in terms of effort and that coupled with some corking tunes were enough for me to look past some rather questionable dance moves (lead singer from Affairs certainly won't be winning Got To Dance anytime soon).
Affairs opened the evening which i believe they've done a couple of times @ Fruit in Hull what with them being local lads and got the evening off to a quality start. Every member had a big part to play in their sound coming out as a very majestic and well constructed almost orchestral bellow that well transcended their youthful years. 'Cressida' and 'Contact' ones to look out for.
Le Bete Blooms then brought a rather little bit more of a grungey/punk-ish feel to proceedings with the lead singer ripping hell out of his guitar in the middle of the crowd, scaring half to death a couple of young lasses near the front (priceless facial expressions of horror). With a bass player that is the spit of one of the cops from Superbad (not seth rogen the other guy) and apparently a missing female member on the evening, they came across having an eclectic mix of personalities. The lead singer gave me a mix tape after the gig which i have no way of playing but thought was pretty cool of him to just have in his pocket in case of emergencies haha nice guy aswell.
Both bands might be at the forefront of some of the investment coming Hull's way with the City of Culture bid won and fast impending in the next few years so i'll be excited to see how far they can take themselves riding that wave maybe if they play their cards right.
JH