Ed Zealous with support from Go Wolf and the Wonder Villains
Friday 12th April 2013 – Stiff Kitten, Belfast
This evening we are in for a real treat of homegrown talent with Ed Zealous taking over the Stiff Kitten in order to launch their phenomenally fabulous new single ‘Medicines’.
The first act to grace the stage are Go Wolf, and they bring catchy drums, echoey synths and sultry, summery and intimate lyrics to the fore. It’s a short set, but it covers all bases with ‘Only God’ making us all think the Eels have dropped in to play an impromptu set. That good. It’s a great introduction and the only real disappointment is that their EP wont hit the shelves well until the Autumn.
It’s only a short wait before the Wonder Villains unleash a barrage of unrelenting, cheery pop upon an eager and willing audience. Tracks like ‘Ferrari’, their new effort ‘Blonde’ and the song that sent them on a great run of success ‘TV’ grab you and you can’t help but find yourself cracking a smile. It’s infectious, and their energy reverberates through the room, providing the perfect tempo to set up Ed Zealous. Not before we get a breather though.
Most bands live or die by their ability to perform live and it only takes a moment to realise that Ed Zealous are destined for the big time. As far as live acts go, they are outrageously good, nothing has been compromised in the transition from studio to stage. The crowds is already on a high from the Wonder Villains set, and there is no sign of a comedown whilst Ed are on. ‘Thanks a Million’ fills the stage and draws the audience right in. The real pleasure on display is that it’s impossible to shoe horn these boys into a genre without using an infinite number of hyphens. You just have to take a step back and admire the fluctuation between a dozen different styles.
We are treated to a meaty eight song set and it flies right in. Each track builds on the momentum of the previous and after flying through fantastic tracks like ‘I will Destroy You’ and ‘Telepaths‘, we reach ‘It’s Only The End’ It’s an absolute behemoth, with Steven prowling the stage and Andrew controlling the synths. It’s an epic and the room is nearly delirious by the time we get to the evenings main event. ‘Medicines’ is an absolute weapon of a track, its heavy, well written and it’s so well paced. It’s a chart hit, it has to be. It’s a faultless performance and the treat of ‘Diamonds For Eyes’ is the icing on the cake. The album promises to be spectacular and with stagecraft like this on display the accompanying tour can be just as eagerly anticipated.
The night isn’t quite over with Not Squares taking control of the decks and providing the late night entertainment, well for those that have any energy left anyway.
