This was the first time I had ventured into the Komedia Comedy Club in Brighton and found the music venue part to be tucked away right in the very bowels of the building. Having said that, it’s a nice space and perfect for a cosy little sold-out gig like this, effectively the first date of Noah and The Loners’ ‘Desolate Warning Tour’. The first couple of dates had reportedly been nobbled by tonsillitis issues. First of all, many thanks go out to Joseph the guitarist, who helped resolve my venue entry issues – top man!
According to my (admittedly rather archaic) dictionary, the term Arcadia can be used to describe a state of ‘idyllic innocence’ or being ‘simple and untroubled’. Well, the three-piece opening tonight’s proceedings clearly hadn’t read that dictionary! Not finding any online material in the immediate lead-up to the gig, I was half-expecting Simon Le Bon and his mates to trot out on stage (if you know you know) but, thankfully, this was a different kettle of fish entirely. Arcadia are a new band and clearly just starting out but with an energy and ‘have-a-go’ attitude which will serve them well in future. Their Clash and Ramones-inspired music is brash, thrashy and angry, even more so when the drummer and lead vocalist/guitarist swapped instruments for the last few songs. She can certainly scream with the best of them. “Run Soldier Run” and “Go To Her” were highlights of the set and proof that the punk aesthetic is still alive and well in this younger generation and I am reliably informed that the singer made the police hat all by himself.
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The Dirtsharks vids I had seen online beforehand had not inspired me to expect a very interesting set, to be honest. They seemed far too laid back for my tastes. However, the band were either playing completely different songs or had been drinking strong lagers round at the Brewdog before the gig(?). I don’t know the actual reason but they really pulled it out of the bag tonight. I didn’t catch any song titles but Dirtsharks can clearly write a decent tune or too, to back up their mature-songwriting ability. They reminded me of Pink Floyd at times, mixed in with a touch of Lonely The Brave, which brought a nuanced passion to their brand of hard rock. Musically, the boys came across as accomplished musicians and the mad fiddling duels (yes, you read that right) really added to the energy of their songs, even generating some moshing, and reaching a satisfying climax by the end of their set. As a live band, Dirtsharks were a revelation.
“I don’t see the point of writing a song if you’re not saying anything, and I don’t think we’d be the band we are if the music wasn’t so personal.” And having read that quote from Noah and the Loners’ frontman (and singer-songwriter) Noah Lonergan, I was on board already. For a band who are still in their teens, the quartet play intelligent punk with an impressive confidence and the crowd loved every catchy chorus and “Nananananananana” of it (“Teenage Tragedy”) in the Komedia this evening. Covering subjects such as politics (both gender and party), toxic masculinity, corruption and…err…waiting for a delayed train in the rain after your footie team lost a match, they say all the right things about just the right things. ‘Zeigeist-punk’ if you like…there you go, that’s one for the label obsessives.
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But for all of their earworm-inducing chant-alongs, they are still a decidedly punk band at heart, citing Soft Play (nee Slaves), Idles, X-Ray Spex and Buzzcocks in their promotional blurb. While most of their songs see Noah belting out the lyrics, there is an occasional rap element to the vocals of a couple of songs but in more of a “Parklife” style rather than Kanye, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear. I recommend you check out the excellent “Hell of a Day” for a great example of this.
Noah the singer is backed up by another Noah (Riley) on drums, Amber Welsh on bass and Joseph Boyle on guitar. The rest of the band provide very effective backing / gang vocals which I thought added to the power of the songs, more so than is the case with a lot of other bands. They really beefed up the impact of the message, adding extra flavour to a great all-round performance.
Whilst I understand the need for many to rail against the Tories, I would have thought that (regardless of their particular views and policies) 2024 is not “the worst time to be LGBTQ+”. It must actually be the best time, if you look back across history and all things considered? But anyway, as a trans man, I’m sure that Noah knows a lot more about it than I. And while we’re on the subject… I know a lot of people don’t like bands to be political (or have no interest in it) but I much prefer a group who have something to say because it is what drives them and gives them the energy to generate the music they want to send out into the world. Of course, I sometimes disagree with a band’s views (not the case here, I hasten to add) but it doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t listen to and enjoy their music just as much. This is why the smash and crash of characteristically angry, frustration-venting two-minute blasts like “Crash Landing” and “Protest Anger” will always have an appeal to the old punk in me. Noah and The Loners are very much in my ‘ones to watch’ file and this was a good, fun gig!
I am old enough to remember the first wave of punk but was never interested in the fashion side of it and I don’t miss the spitting either. Punk’s not dead – it has just evolved. For the better…