@ Summerhall, Edinburgh on Wed 23 Sep 2015
The Fringe may be well over but Summerhall is still open for business and Joanna Gruesome are in town to support their latest album Peanut Butter. The Welsh band have gone through several line-up changes since their debut on Fortuna Pop! Records, but the indie pop energy remains and is on display this evening at a boisterous show in the Dissection Room in Summerhall.
Label mates and possibly Edinburgh’s hardest working band, The Spook School, are the opening act. The band seem to be constantly playing shows in the city and have recently been touring further afield. Their set is short, energetic and filled with infectious indie pop tunes. The different band members share vocal duties in front of the eager and encouraging crowd that are evidently pleased they turned up early. It is fairly obvious that The Spook School will be headlining similar size venues in the near future as their songs strike a definite chord with the audience.
Headliners Joanna Gruesome take no time in grabbing the attention of the audience with a loud and aggressive sound. The six piece look and act like they have been waiting to play in Edinburgh for a long time and they are clearly relishing the moment. With two albums under their belt (2013 debut Weird Sister, and Peanut Butter, released in May this year) the band have the time and the songs to play a longer and varied set. Three guitarists ensure the volume and noise is set to maximum as they rattle through noise pop at a steady rate. The set is mostly made up of songs from the latest album with the tempo turned up. As with the support act, different band members take on lead vocals and the melodies and vocals soar above the discordant guitar sound that never feels jarring or out of place. In a live setting, Sonic Youth appear to be a big influence, yet Joanna Gruesome have songs and a visual style that ooze originality and feel fresh and exciting.
The line-ups at Nothing Ever Happens Here are eclectic and look to bring exciting and interesting music to Edinburgh. Joanna Gruesome are definitely a band that succeed in doing this.