It is bucket hat and parka-galore at The Boiler Shop on Friday evening! A roaring and packed out venue is waiting for the band that went before Oasis to unravel songs most of us have heard before, no matter what age. Ahead of Inspiral Carpets’ performance we get to enjoy the experimental mix of Madchester influences The Kustom Built bring to the stage.
Who knew a chain could be a musical instrument? Local outfit The Kustom Built did, and they know how to play it too. Theirs is an eclectic mix of influences taken from bands such as The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and The Charlatans. A mixture of personalities and years of experience make for a smooth and tight live performance but it is tough trying to warm up a crowd that knows exactly what they have come for.
Their funky and upbeat soundscapes are rich in colour and danceable compositions and even though there isn’t much to sing along to, The Kustom Built leave a grand impression!
Their return to the stage is a triumphant one, that of a well-oiled machine that brings together music enthusiasts from all over the country and within all age ranges. Inspiral Carpets are energised and kick off their set with ‘Joe’, dealing with a slowly warming crowd both band and audience get better as the night progresses. With ‘She Comes In The Fall’ the roof finally gets raised and the energy levels are sky-high.
The band returns after a hiatus that started in 2016 following the tragic loss of close friend and drummer Craig Gill to who they pay homage at Friday’s show. Their return to the stage comes from a hunger to make and perform music and deliver a good time, a distraction if you will, while the world is burning. Frontman Stephen Holt said: “We couldn’t stay away forever. The band means too much to so many people just to leave things how they sadly ended in 2016.”
Songs ‘This Is How It Feels’ and ‘Two Worlds Collide’ get the reaction they deserve and the entire evening carries forward that energy, driven by an undeniable love for well-crafted songs with honest lyrics we all get to sing along to. One of our favourite bands is having as good a time, maybe even better, as their audience. The love and passion is coming from both ways and it feels as if the band never left the stage. With a short encore and a good hour and a half of Inspirals’ hits the night is just a tad too short, but then again, it would probably always be!
And to add to that; Friday’s audience was respectful and kind, and this was the first gig I attended where there was a queue in front of the men’s toilets… And none for the women’s! Can you tell there is a good chance no other gig will beat this one?!
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