LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: Feeder @ Space Studios, Norwich
13th March 2024
Support from The Pearl Harts
Space Studios is fast becoming my favourite of the Norwich venues; the staff are friendly and respectful. So often, bag checks can feel brash and abrupt, like everyone's a criminal, but at Space, they’re done with a smile and a personable demeanour. The bar staff are fast, efficient, and always look happy to be doing their jobs. Security doesn't have an imposing presence but an effective one. It's just a nice place to be. Even a sold-out show, as it was for Feeder, doesn't mean everyone crammed in like sardines; there’s still ample room for movement and milling about. Hats off to Space; they really have perfected what a good gig venue should be. Don’t have enough praise for them.
Kicking off tonight was The Pearl Harts, a band I first encountered at The Isle of Wight festival back in 2019, when I was very impressed. Recently relocated to Norwich, I expect to see them on my gig radar more often. Their sound is kick-ass but playful, girl-next-door with a bite. It’s impressive how much noise this pair can make with just a guitar and drums; they could challenge any 5-piece lineup with their raucous, lively show. Beefy riffs that stick, grinding grungy chords, and thunderous drums. The vocals are both melodic and protesting, the gang vox harmonising well. They’ve not been on my rotation in a long time so track titles elude me but ‘Lara’, written about their mate who was in the Norwich crowd, is certainly a great shout along. Their performance is structured chaos and the onstage dynamic between the girls is delightful. This pair are the definition of ‘Girl Power’ electrifying, confident they make a huge sound with the smallest lineup.
Following what seemed like a far too lengthy interval, Feeder took to the stage, touring in support of their upcoming double LP release “Red” / “Black”. A strange choice to tour an album ahead of its release; it's something I don't feel is as common these days as it once was, bands preferring to tour once fans are familiar with their new material although this is an effective way to build momentum for a new release. I did think the people walking around in high-vis vests trying to get people to pre-order the new record was a little overkill; I get it, as it’s become so hard for bands to make money through streaming but I did think it seemed slightly needy.
Anyway, Feeder have been a firm favourite for over two decades. Behind The Manic Street Preachers, they’re my most-seen live band. I like their approach; they've never felt the need to reinvent themselves or change their sound. They produce good honest alt-rock with a gritty grunge twist. No frills, no fancies, no elaborate stage shows, just killer hooks, singalong classics, and authenticity.
Kicking off with ‘ELF’ from the new record, a track that had already been released as a single but I was unfamiliar with; too be honest, with the melee of the crowded photo pit, I didn't have a chance to fully absorb it; however, the crowd seemed to be loving it. Moving into ‘Kyoto’ from 2019’s “Tallulah,” which certainly got everyone's vocal chords warmed up before one of my personal favourites, the 2005 hit ‘Feeling A Moment’.
New track and recent single ‘Lost in the Wilderness’ was well-received as was another classic from “Tallulah,” ‘Fear of Flying’. Next were 3 new tunes back to back: ‘The Knock’, ‘Hey You’, which really struck me with the line “pick yourself up off the floor’ and the crowd singalong of “oh oh yeah yeah”, which Grant joked would be stuck in everyone's head for a week, then ‘Playing With Fire’ where Grant told the crowd to “get a mosh pit going”; the diehards at the front duly obliged. Despite their lack of familiarity all three song went down a treat with the sold-out crowd
Moving into a Greatest Hits section that started off with ‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’, which always makes me feel quite emotional with its introspective lyrics. 1999’s hit ‘Insomnia’ set the room alight before the band headed back to 1997’s “Polythene” album to blast through the gritty ‘Tangerine’ to much heckling from the crowd, particularly “Mrs. Tangerine” who I assume had been shouting the loudest for the song. If I’m honest, I would have preferred ‘My Perfect Day’ which was listed alongside ‘Tangerine’ on the setlist but not played but either way it was nice to see an old, less obvious, track included in the set. ‘High’, a song that saw the band spend a year touring the US, was stunning and emotive as always, probably my favourite Feeder song. When announcing ‘Buck Rogers’ made famous by the video game “Gran Turismo”, Grant joked “everyone needs a pop song, and this is ours”; naturally the room went wild with mini mosh pits opening up everywhere within the crowd.
The band then hurried off, implying the set was done, but everyone knew one big hit remained, they headed back out to a cheer, starting their encore with the new song ‘Soldiers’ which, while good, felt a little drab for an encore especially given it was a tune no one knew. Ending on 2001 standalone single ‘Just A Day’, the room once again ignited with singing, dancing, and everyone just having a great time. A really party atmosphere.
Another excellent Feeder gig; out of the dozens I’ve seen, I don't think there's ever been to a bad one. A nice mix of old and new tunes, the new tracks already sounding like fan favourites. Grant, who had been battling illness prior to the show, admitted he still wasn’t feeling 100% but put in a stellar performance anyway. Feeder is a band you can trust; they're an engaging live act and a band who have never felt the need to sell themselves out to gain commercial success.
