Upon entering the gig, all that could be heard was the whispered rumours making their way around the crowd. Using my Counteract magazine writer status, I managed to find out what was going down. Mr Tarik Badwan, lead singer of Loom, had not turned up to soundcheck and now no one was sure whether he was going to turn up at all. I took my place at the ticket desk and stared glumly at the stage. One band had already dropped out of the show, surely the headline act couldn't?
The night kicked off with Juice: a band fairly new to the Birmingham music scene. However over their incredibly short period of time playing shows they've managed to build up quite a following and have previously supported bands such as Catfish and the Bottlemen. Their set boasted roaring guitar riffs, effortlessly cool members and bass lines that made the whole room move. Juice rose to prominence within the local music scene after a short trailer of their track "Sugar" was posted online; before long everyone was talking about Juice and for good reason. I'm probably totally bias but I really think Juice are going to be something big one day. Unfortunately they don't have any songs online for you to listen to right now, but let it be known that their set was great and good times were had by all.
Next to take the stage were Fiblar favourites Curb. As with Juice it seems they've only been on the scene five minutes, however their now massive following suggests otherwise. As they only have one song currently available to listen to online, it is not until you see Curb live that you really understand just how great this band are. I've seen them quite a lot but I can honestly say they played better this night than I have ever seen them play before. Everything was completely on point- it's evident their constant rehearsals have paid off and the crowd echoed this, dancing like their lives depended on it. However it wasn't until top track "How Are You Now" was played that things really kicked off. Friends and strangers of the band alike screamed the chorus and the set ended in the most beautiful way possible; with a standing drum solo, wailing guitars and all instruments thrown to the ground. The words on everyone's lips? How could Loom possibly beat this?!
Finally it was the moment everyone had been waiting for. As if from nowhere Tarik Badwan strutted out on to the stage as the eagerly awaiting crowd looked on in awe. Although comparisons between the two are probably best avoided, the similarities between the two Badwan brothers are evident. Not merely in their appearance, yet in the way they have the power to command an entire audiences attention in one look. Looms set began well, a loud guitar driven set that provided a brilliant contrast to the dreamy earlier acts. However within ten minutes if being on stage Tarik stormed off again, only return with a handful of bananas which he then began to throw at the crowd. It is clear that those watching were not ready for the high level of audience interaction Loom bring, before long members are running out into the crowd and standing on tables, yet it is also clear they thoroughly enjoyed it. If this set was anything to go by, I expect big things for Loom in 2014. The bands sound is shouty and messy but in a way that just seems to work with them and this is something I love. They played a relatively short set, however all this did was fuel the audiences desire for more so expect to see them hitting Birmingham again some time soon.
When you bring someone as unpredictable as Tarik Badwan into such a small space, you can never be sure quite what will happen. I'm not sure anyone was expecting the bananas though. Kudos to Counteract for putting on this amazing show and Loom? Please return as soon as possible.
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