Local promoter In Fireworks has been putting on consistently excellent line-ups beneath the grand chandeliers of The Tooting Tram & Social all year, with Joyzine faves such as Shark Dentist, Marksmen, Bellevue Days and Dexy all gracing their stage in 2016, and tonight’s line-up promises to be one of their best yet.
Having scrambled their way through road accidents and rush hour traffic from Essex to South West London with minutes to spare before their set, Superglu might be forgiven for being a little flustered. Instead, they unpack their instruments, plug in and dive headfirst into a set of infectious grunge-tinted indie pop that instantly recalls the quiet/loud histrionics of Pixies at their most accessible.
They’re clearly loving it too; bassist Krista appears to be entirely made of slinkies as she bounces and twists at centre stage, while singer Ben throws stadium rock shapes and gnaws on his strings to her right; their enthusiasm in both endearing and contagious.
Southend power-punk quartet Asylums don’t want for energy on stage either with front duo Luke Branch and Jazz Miel bouncing around the stage like the floor’s been set alight. They blast through a selection of tracks from their debut album Killer Brain Waves, with the hyperactive guitars and big choruses of ‘Seen Your Face In a Music Magazine’ and ‘Wet Dream Fanzine’ immediately searing themselves into the hippocampus of all present.
Proceedings are slowed down for a couple of solo numbers, with Branch joined onstage by Ben Dodd of excellent music portal The Zine, following an enthusiastic request for a Prince track, for a cover of ‘Raspberry Beret’. The band return for a couple more high sugar punk sprints and then it’s all over for their, and our, last gig of 2016. We’ll see you down the front of a small room full of big noise in the new year.
Review by Paul Maps
Photography by Chris Patmore: chrispatmore.co.uk