Live Review: Lowtide, Summer Flake, White Walls, Bloodhounds On My Trail

Standing drummer, Nik Donaldson, is a striking focal point, with pomade hair and cymbals set high. Banter between songs is jovial, and the lads enjoy a warm response to their densely layered tunes.White Walls sound check with a few chords from AC/DC’s For Those About To Rock (We Salute You), setting the tone for their souped-up live show. Pounding drums lay the foundation for guitars that are both abrasive and tuneful, and the lack of bass player in no way hinders their sound. By set’s end, feedback and guitar bends result in a few raucous screams from the crowd, and then the lads leave, having leveled the stage.

Armed with red Fender Jaguar guitar, Stephanie Crase gets the ball rolling with a live four-piece incarnation of her solo Summer Flake project. A change of pace from White Walls, the group delivers jangly, indie guitar lines, and memorable hooks prevail in each successive tune. Crase’s vocals sit nicely in the mix, and her guitar leads are as melodic as the tunes themselves. 

The subsequent Missing History is another mellow gem from the latest release, its pensive melody contrasting nicely with the driving pop of Underneath Tonight

The floor is now heaving with punters, and many spill out onto the sloping beer garden to view proceedings through the window. Tonight marks the launch of Lowtide’s self-titled debut LP, and all eyes are trained on the stage as members take their positions in the near darkness. Swirls of smoke add to the mystique, and once assembled the band begins with Whale. During the track, light diffracts behind guitarist Gabriel Lewis’ explosion of hair and, as the fog dissipates, the group is basked in a sombre, green glow.

Continuing with the ebullient Held, Giles Simon and Lucy Buckeridge tackle singing duties separately before joining forces, their vocal harmonies resonating throughout the small room. The subsequent Missing History is another mellow gem from the latest release, its pensive melody contrasting nicely with the driving pop of Underneath Tonight. 

After the embers of instrumental Maxillae Leaving, Seaward die out, the smoke machine gets pushed to its limit, completely enveloping the stage and performers in a pea-soup haze. The band soldiers on, however, amazingly hitting all the right notes in Blue Movie. By song’s end one can just make out a bass guitar headstock before vague outlines of the group slowly materialize. Buckeridge takes a moment to thank us all for coming, with Lewis adding: “And sorry about the smoke, that was my fault!”

An extended intro heralds set closer, Wedding Ring, with shouts for an encore punctuating the air upon its completion. Alas, Lowtide wave their goodbyes and triumphantly exit the stage, leaving the crowd in the optimal state: satisfied, yet ravenous for more.