Live Review: Trash Boat, Broadside & Homebound - Rock City, Nottingham 20/09/2017
Wednesday, last week saw pop punk quintet Trash Boat grace the stage of the prestigious Rock City amid a lengthy UK tour, with supports Homebound and Broadside joining the bill. Despite not often having the greatest atmosphere, I was hoping tonight’s basement show would be a special one.
Home-grown talent Homebound take no time in introducing themselves, with frontman Charlie Boughton exploding onto the stage into first hit Worthwhile. A small selection of fans chant back their material, to the delight of Boughton. It’s no surprise that fans are enthusiastic; the intricacy showcased throughout the set emphasizes the progression of UK pop punk, as well as Homebound’s new level of maturity with their music. Fan favourite Headspace closes their short set, with bouncy riffs and angry vocals that are quite literally the epitome of pop punk.
Main support Broadside are creating a buzz before they’ve even reached the stage, with fans singing their lyrics throughout the crowd. Once the US boys reach the stage, it’s clear that frontman Oliver Baxxter is the powerhouse of this quintet; belting straight into Hidden Colours and dancing around the tiny stage. These guys provide the pop in pop punk; Baxxter’s incredibly delicate vocal delivers a lighter vibe, which when paired with their summer sound works an absolute treat. After delivering a flawless set, its clear fans are eager for popular and closing hit, Coffee Talk. Within seconds, the whole room erupts into sing along; beers held in the air in admiration. It’s clear these guys will be back on their own sometime soon with a following as strong as this.
No introduction needed, Trash Boat burst onto the stage and straight into first hit, Tring Quarry. The basement is like never before; fans crawling over each other for a taste of madness in this packed out venue. The atmosphere is electric, with older hits Perspective, Gnarmalade and Boneless only strengthening the admiration for these guys. Performing older hits like these emphasizes the band’s progression, with drummer Oakley Moffatt sounding tighter than ever. These guys are clearly giving their all, with frontman Tobi Duncan literally losing breath with each line; the passion is well and truly alive with this quintet.
As Trash Boat plough through their latest release, Duncan takes to the stage alone for the penultimate single, which comes in the form of ballad Brave Face. The crowd take it down a notch for only a slight moment, singing in unison to the heartfelt hit. However, final single Strangers is one we’ve all been waiting for. ‘I won’t hold you down’ bellows through the room, followed by beers and punters flying through the air. This single is certainly a stand out on the latest release, emphasized through the intense madness seen in the basement.
As disappointing as this venue can be, Trash Boat absolutely blew it out of the water. Never before have I been to a pop punk show in Nottingham with such angst. A show that will stick out to me for a while to come.
Review by Cait Briggs