The Chase / Flamenco Thief - The Thunderbolt, Saturday 20th April

It was going to take something special to sell out the fantastic Thunderbolt bar in Totterdown tonight as the ‘Hit The Deck Festival’ –Bristol’s multi-venue version of SXSW dominates the weekend listings. A brave move you might think therefore for an EP launch then but emerging local based pop/rock band The Chase seem to take it all in their stride.

(Picture courtesy of Richard Oxford www.richardoxford.co.uk)

Opening for them tonight is incredible one man band Flamenco Thief aka Craig Sutton. After a staggering 110 gigs last year, there’s a real buzz around the part-time postie from Bath bolstered by recent support from NME. Soon heading off around Europe, the unassuming virtuoso turns his guitar into a bongo drum, knuckle-rapping with even more rapidity than Gabriela Quintero. This is possibly the most original 30 minutes of guitar playing you’re likely to hear this year. There’s some impressive Segovia style picking on ’92 Chemicals’ a track that showcases the percussive rhythms that has the audience whooping with approval. Nothing has been thieved on mind-boggling ‘Mad Cow Stomp’ which quite literally has to be seen to be believed. The Boss rc300 loop pedal creates layer upon layer of hypnotic melody and metronomic hip-hop beats that really have no right to work. Real quality.

On to our headliner and Bristol quartet The Chase who arrive off the back of some rave reviews after recent support slots for the reformed Space and awesome Dizraeli and The Small Gods.  Promoting their diverse new EP ‘Pudding Pie Lane’ –their 2^nd in their near 2 year existence so far, the group’s crowd-pleasing blend of funk, pop, rock and soul is set to earn them a residency at one of the city’s leading venues.  Frontman Tom Pepper, heavily coiffeured and adorning a dapper grey waistcoat bounces around the pokey stage, clearly enjoying every minute.  Pepper spices things up (sorry) on best track ‘Bigger Things’, vocally, Johnny Borrell (Razorlight) meets Adam Levine (Maroon 5) boosted by some uncompromising pounding from the exceptional Duke Grooves.  There’s definitely a post-‘By The Way’ RHCP feel to some of the middle tracks with a quasi-funk that’s unashamedly accessible and lapped up by the lively crowd. 

 

Barenaked Ladies cover ‘One Week’ is somehow sped up with an added bite making it more than a testing karaoke interlude.  Slowing it down for two acoustic tracks we’re told to either go for a smoke or head to the bar and Pepper’s Dad does just that fighting his way back to the front to deliver a shot to his son.  It’s a fair reward for some committed soulful crooning on ‘Drawn To You’ that does anything but part the audience, instead hinting at some burgeoning songwriting talent.  Imagine Anthony Kiedis on the Scissor Sisters’ ‘Take Your Mama Out’ for the insanely catchy ‘Trying To Say,’ a track that has Hit written all over it.  So The Chase for success is on for the Bristol boys and after a rapturous response tonight and another promising EP in the bank they might just make it to the big time.

Kindly published by Venue:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-c/20483-the-chase--flamenco-thief-

Best Tracks:

The Chase - Bigger Things
Flamenco Thief - Mad Cow Stomp

On Sale: Click on link below