Support: Riskee And The Ridicule, Triple Sundae
Where: The Lady Luck, Canterbury
When: 3rd December 2015
Reviewed By: Lee Morton
Photography By: Jo Weatherley Photography
It's been another busy year of touring for London based punk (with horns) band Ghouls, especially with the release of Great Expectations II. So, what better way to finish the year in style than a quick December run around the UK, including a very ambitious three gigs in three countries in just twenty-four hours. The 'Acting Adult' tour kicked off here in Canterbury and with the band having played here a few times now, the locals are very much out in force.
First up are five-piece London/Kent band Triple Sundae with their take on melodic punk. Despite having released just a couple of EPs and very little practise, theirs is a very accomplished set. The new tracks aired tonight, from the Flaked Out EP, are particular highlights and get the crowd moving.
The crowd has visibly increased in size for (almost) local lads Riskee and the Ridicule. Regular TPA readers will know that these guys are big favourites of ours and never fail to deliver. Kicking off their set with Devil's Dandruff from last year's incredible Dawn of the Dog album, singer and frontman Scott immediately gets the crowd on side. New song My Girlfriend is a Hipster follows and shows the continued development of their sound. Roots hands down wins the award for loudest crowd interaction of the night as the chorus of "if you ain't got roots, how you gonna grow" magnified back at them ten-fold. How do you follow that up? Easy, you throw out Jack Of All Trades, Another Crazy Love Song, and Pool Water to an increasingly rabid and responsive pit. Finishing up with some members of Ghouls joining them for a rousing rendition of Weekend Superstar, the bar had been well and truly set.
Undaunted by what'd gone before them Ghouls took to the stage and launched into Nice to Know You from their Great Expectations EP. Faster and more immediate live than on record it sets the perfect tone for what was to follow. Anyone that's seen Ghouls before will have a good idea of what to expect: catchy sing-along anthems that encourage interaction from the crowd...and that's exactly what they delivered. Devil's Water and Great Expectations fly past, both delivered with more intensity than I've seen in a while. Not sure if this is down to stand-in drummer, Matt from Riskee, who did an excellent job, or the party atmosphere due to it being lead singer Ben's birthday. Whatever the reason it worked tonight.
The laid back groove of Oceans gives the crowd a chance to take a breath before Gone Fishing encourages the now-obligatory throwing of a plastic fish from the crowd. The confidence of the band is summed up during a semi-acoustic one two of Acting Adult and Quit While You're Ahead where Ben walks in to the crowd and they unite singing along to both songs. Although I've seen this performed a number of times now it never ceases to amaze me, or the band for that matter from the looks on their faces.
After that magical moment they finish with probably their fastest and most up-tempo songs. Dive In with its slow build and release is swiftly followed by the manic Abandon Ship, with the brass section of Russ and Maz really shining before London's Burning tempts the last drops of energy out of a very sweaty crowd.
The huge grins on the faces of the crowd as they shuffle out at the end of the night show how much fun was had by all. With dates around the rest of the UK, including London's Camden Barfly on the 16th December, I recommend checking them out before they go into hibernation for the rest of the winter.
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