Page 47 - 367639 LP248834 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) October 2022

STAGE REVIEW
GIG REVIEW
YERSIN
+ GOBLIN SMOKER AT LITTLE BUILDINGS, NEWCASTLE – 27/08/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
Main support act Goblin Smoker kick things into overdrive tonight with their metal-driven fables about the life of a frog trying to find a way to live in a cold, unforgiving world. The hardest and most enjoyable of tonight’s three songs, ‘Toad King’, finds the Smokers in fine form. With a blend of hard guitar riffs, heavy rumbling basslines and a ferocious drumming style reminiscent of Ginger Baker, it is as intense as it sounds, before crossing over to a sharp glam-stomp final section. The baton is passed across quickly to headliners, Yersin, whose unique blend of hardcore punk and metal, sprinkled with comedic asides, is a real treat for the thrashing and moshing crowd. Standouts ‘Insidious Merchanised Barrymore’ and ‘Buggered in the Greenhouse’ both power through the night with the hardcore intensity of The Rollins band, whilst insider jokes and humour provide the right levels of sophistication to allow access to their music. Both bands may have been dark and heavy, but they also had the important ingredients of light and humour which are essential parts of the real metal greats. DAMIAN ROBINSON
BRASSED OFF
AT GALA THEATRE, DURHAM – 07/09/2022
GIG REVIEW
PALOOKA 5
AT THE GLOBE, NEWCASTLE – 16/09/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
Palooka 5 are original, quirky and fun. The band had the Newcastle crowd dancing all night long as they played a set full of organ-driven surf and garage music. The five-piece play original vintage instruments bedecked in a fancy array of hats and sequins. Their set is a blend of their own songs including ‘Debbie Don’t Surf’ with some B52 songs thrown in, including ‘Rock Lobster’. As well as some ‘60s guitar effects, there are maracas shaken and something you don’t very often see on stage - a Theremin. This electronic musical instrument is controlled without any physical contact and played by Bethan during their instrumental song, ‘Break Point’. Bethan on vocals and percussion is full of energy throughout, dancing among the audience with a tambourine in each hand. The Globe itself is a gem of a venue for live music and the ‘bad vibrations’ of Palooka 5 had the crowd singing at the top of their voices from start to finish. EMMA CHESWORTH
NE VOLUME RATING 
Brassed Off hit our screens back in 1996, but the issues raised in the hit film still sadly resonate deeply today as movingly shown in this theatre adaptation. The Gala Theatre production has relocated the play to County Durham, with the imminent closure of the pit causing huge financial worries for a whole community: bailiffs knocking at the door and families struggling to put food on the table is something too many people are facing in this current cost of living crisis. Yet Brassed Off is anything but depressing. The joy of music and this tale of community spirit and friendships through tough times saw people leave the theatre with a huge grin on their face. Brassed Off tells the tale of a community fighting the inevitable closure of its pit. Band conductor, Danny, has held a lifelong ambition to lead his local colliery band to the National Brass Band Competition, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. But just when that dream looks like it might happen, the pit faces closure. Gloria (played by flugelhorn player Maddie Hansen in her professional stage debut) has been sent back to her former town to determine the profitability of the
pit by British Coal management. As she rekindles a childhood romance, Danny is fighting a losing battle trying to keep band members interested, with all the band members facing their own personal battles - and the issue of whether to vote for redundancy from the pit looms large. Top performances come from young and old alike, with 13-year-old actor Oran Smyth excellent as the son of pit worker Phil and his wife Sandra, and ageing band leader Danny is played superbly by Nicholas Lumley. The cast is impressive and the members of the Easington Colliery Band are brilliant. The fantastic live music, heard throughout the play, saw the audience applause every time. They played the upbeat Floral Dance to the classical Concierto de Aranjuez (called Concierto de Orange Juice by the band members) and there is even a blast of brass Agadoo. It is also notable that many of the cast members are accomplished brass players too - I genuinely could not tell who was not playing for real. This was a heartwarming and truly engaging performance. It received a deserved standing ovation from the packed theatre. EMMA CHESWORTH
David J Whetstone GIG REVIEWS // NE VOLUME MAGAZINE // 47