Wild Nothing

For a Wednesday night out in the ‘burbs of the second city, this sure was a treat.
And, at less than a tenner, it was a steal, as three bands delivered sets as they should be - loud and fast sure, but just as intricate and precise.

Opening the show at Kings Heath’s Hare & Hounds were Birmingham natives Wide Eyed, whose grunge-tinged shoegaze blew away all the midweek cobwebs. Their wall-of-noise set was no doubt ear-catching, their sound recalling early Smashing Pumpkins or more recently Toy. Yet another Birmingham band to keep an eye on.

Hot on their heels were Londoners Omi Palone, who, despite a few drum-falling-over issues, picked up the pace and ripped through an energising set of lo-fi indie pop at their first ever Birmingham gig.

And after the loud, the fuzz and the fast came the bliss of Wild Nothing. Assembling on stage and launching into Shadow from 2012’s brilliant Nocturne with minimal fuss, Jack Tatum and his live band gave off an air of complete calm.

As did the tunes, with their washed out, uplifting tones infectiously spreading around the venue, inspiring an entire room to mindlessly drift and sway around to the intricate guitar lines and soaring synths.

Playing a tight hour set largely made up of songs from the aforementioned Nocturne, as well as a couple from their debut Gemini and a cover of The Go-Between’s Head Full of Steam, highlights included Only Heather, Paradise, Counting Days, The Blue Dress, and rousing closer Summer Holiday.

A perfectly short and sweet performance from the band, who made it all look so effortless that they could have done it in their sleep.

Kudos to This is TMRW for spoling us rotten with another evening of great live music. Let’s do it again sometime.