Words by Isaac Vernon
Warmduscher were a warm surprise on Friday, breathing life into the intimate Sage Two stage at The Glasshouse.
I went into this gig pretty blind, only being aware of their track ‘Midnight Dipper’ and its fantastic Soulwax remix. A friend I share music with recommended I go to this, saying their stage presence and live energy were worth going for alone. I’d never been to see anything other than classical music at The Glasshouse, most of which was watching an orchestra-accompanied showing of The Snowman there as a child at Christmas. I was surprised, then, when I heard Warmduscher would play this venue. Being pretty experimental rock at times, I was excited to see how it would turn out.
The Sage Two is an intimate room, with two rings of seating above a barrier-less standing area, meaning we were up close and personal. The layout was great, as there was not a bad view of the band. It reminded me of The Fire Station in Sunderland, another great venue. They were raucous right out of the gate; lead singer Craig Higgins has a mesmerising energy, like that of a preacher, with his frantic karate-like arm movements. His nun chuck-style mic-swinging never faltered throughout the entirety of the gig, even as he walked into the crowd towards the end of the show.
The left-hand side of the stage was stylish and composed, with Marley Mackey on keys never breaking a sweat or smile, just being effortlessly cool the entire gig. The leather-clad Adam Harmer, also a member of Fat White Family, was equally chic, and used the gig to flex his impressive and extensive pedalboard as well as his frantic guitar-playing skills. The crowd started tame, but the energy grew once fan favourites like ‘I Got Friends’ and ‘Disco Peanuts’ appeared.
This gig was a pleasant surprise, and one that turned me from a casual listener into an active one, having their latest album ‘Too Cold To Hold’ on repeat since leaving.
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