Evacuees - The Louisiana, Friday 21st June

Bath based indie rock quartet Evacuees show tonight that melancholic anthems created by the once heralded 6 string instrument still have their place as they light up the Louie with the launch of their encouraging second EP.  After forming just 2 years ago the Evacuees have fought their way up the bill across the city thanks to support slots for Amplifier, Ultrasound and We Are Augustines and a well-received set at this year’s Dot-To-Dot festival. 

 

(Picture courtesy of Jackie Ong)

 

In sharp contrast to the twee radio-folk ballady balls that passes for rock music on our airwaves there are a couple of fast improving alternative bands coming through who are causing a real stir on the Bristol circuit at the moment.  Our headliner tonight is leading this local charge and with influences stretching from Nirvana, QOTSA, Thrice, Brand New and Radiohead they have a wide pallet of angsty genius to draw upon and the new EP has a more assured feel as they begin to find their sound.  The Evacuees’ imposing front-man Dean Bryant haunches over the mic like a devilish hyena, all in black, looking sufficiently sinister as he bears down on the audience.  But it’s an anti-climatic acoustic start to proceedings as the band suffers sound issues that clearly frustrate them.  The exasperated frontman waves his hands in disgust throughout the early stages –with a vocal range like his it’s not a great idea to make him angry.  Alex Grassi’s band A Life In Orange who went down as an entertaining support (thanks in no small part to their sensational drummer) lend Bryant a guitar and the band regroup and begin again.



Tonight’s set has a decent mix of edgy acoustic lo-fi and hurtling early-Radiohead anthems with a post-grunge feel.  Joe Daly’s chugging bass kicks off brooding beauty ‘Grounded’ alongside hypnotic Greenwood-esque guitar weavings before Bryant launches himself, neck sinews bulging into a Lemmy style blitz as he bellows “stand on the feet by which you’re blessed, don’t be counted among the rest.”  It’s a good marker for what follows as the band quickly make up lost ground and win over the punters.  Early Verve jamming next up on the upbeat bluesy ‘Miss Guided’ with a stirring scuzziness that has the audience hooked.  Metronomic drumming and a meandering bass create a less claustrophobic hook than before allowing the band to soar with some solid harmonies and a stadium bound chorus. 

 

Penultimate track ‘Da Vinci’ begins with bittersweet and fragile chimes with a soft husky vocal but quickly ascends into a belting chorus that leaves nothing left in the tank.  Definitely their best and most creative track it casts aside any doubts over the band’s ability to be original and reveals some promising shoots of songwriting potential.  New track ‘Delorean’ ends the night; a weighty slab of brooding granite with Bryant’s trademark throaty vocal howling “88 miles an hour couldn’t bring you back down.” The Evacuees owe a lot to the past but tonight’s set shows they’re only looking forward and not back to the future.

 

 

Kindly published by Venue:

http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-e/20816-evacuees

 

Best Track: click through link below
Evacuees - 'Da Vinci'

Setlist:

1. The Briny
2. Papercut
3. Grounded
4. Clandestine
5. Rusted
6. Temper Temper
7. Miss Guided
8. Fight The Light
9. Da Vinci
10. Delorean