It might be a dreary, chilly Monday in Glasgow (are there many other kinds of Monday?), but the buzz in King Tuts within just minutes of doors opening makes it feel more like a Friday night. This may well end in an unpleasant surprise for anyone forgetting they have work tomorrow, but it does mean London’s Anavae are in the unusual position of starting the night with not only a near-full crowd to play with, but also an enthusiastic one. The duo– alongside touring drummer Callum Connell– play an enticing, danceable pop rock set, and vocals from Rebecca Need-Menear are superb. There’s a couple of technical hitches that affect their overall sound, but Anavae put on a great performance to get things moving.
Canadian five piece Story Untold are on their first venture overseas, and if first impressions count then the band are making a firmly positive dent on Glaswegian hearts. This is classic upbeat pop punk in full force– but with elements of grunge and early The Offspring sounds wound in, it’s a fantastically refreshing set from musicians who are far more than just power chords. It’s impossible not to crack a smile at their frantic pop punk medley mash up as they borrow songs from bands like Blink-182 and All Time Low for the ultimate crowd pleaser. Story Untold are exactly the kind of band the scene needs more of, and this seems unlikely to be the last time we see them on these shores.
With Confidence have had a busy summer. After taking on the final Warped Tour and releasing second album ‘Love and Loathing’ shortly after, they’re now in the UK to take their new material for a first real outing; when the Australians finally make their appearance at 10pm it’s apparent that it won’t be a long set, but the quality definitely isn’t lacking as they kick straight into ‘That Something’.
At times it’s hard to hear the vocals over the singing of the crowd in this tiny room, but when the volume dies down a little there’s not much to fault– aside from a handful of pitchy falsetto notes– from either front man Jayden Seeley, or guitarist Inigo Del Carmen. There’s a brief suggestion that Del Carmen might not be feeling on top form vocally– but if he’s struggling, it’s hard to tell, even as he takes the lead on ‘Dopamine’. The heartrendingly emotional acoustic track ‘Long Night’ is a perfect demonstration of Seeley’s capabilities– and though he may not be the typical outgoing front man, his gentle, funny onstage persona contributes to the atmosphere of warmth in the room (and not just of the sweaty kind).
The set continues in perfectly sunny and upbeat form, with a few pleasant surprises along the way; having two albums to their name now means the band easily have enough material to fill a set without delving any deeper, but they still opt to drop in a few older favourites. ‘Godzilla’ and ‘London Lights’ are welcome inclusions, but it’s ‘Here For Nothing’ that proves to be one of the highlights of the evening. A raw and joyous sing along moment over dancing guitars and thundering drums, it’s testament to the quality of music With Confidence produce that this could ever have been relegated to a B-Side.
Technical issues come out to play during ‘Moving Boxes’ as a kick pedal goes awry, but it confirms the skills of drummer Josh Brozzesi as he continues with little outward sign of any problem– though it does sadly leave the song sounding a little hollow. Fortunately, all is remedied for the encore of ‘Voldemort’, and ‘Love and Loathing’ album track ‘Icarus’. One of their most punchy, powerful songs, there’s something irresistibly magical about a room full of people screaming “break your neck, break your neck and follow”. Still with that warm atmosphere though… Honest.
Small venue shows will always be a little extra special, but With Confidence could have brightened the darkest and moodiest of rooms tonight. The only real downside is the shortness of the set, with so many more superb songs they could have played, but perhaps that’s one for next time– and hopefully, it won’t be too long before they return.
GEM ROGERS
