It could definitely be argued that the East End of London is home to some of the best music venues in the city. Its quaint back street pubs and bars offer night after night of great quality live music, affordable drinks and a warm and exciting atmosphere that makes you feel like you're in a room full of friends, even when every face in the crowd belongs to that of a stranger. On the 26th of March we found ourselves in Hoxton's The Macbeth; a "haggard old party pub" where The Battles Of Winter were celebrating a launch party for their debut album 'Standing At The Floodgates'. In terms of appearance, The Battles Of Winter (Alistair Gale (vocals/guitar), Lucas Manley (guitar/effects), Graeme Dinning (bass) and Martin Good (drums)) are the kind of guys who wouldn't necessarily stand out in a crowd. They blend in with any other bloke you'd see on the street. Well, with exception to Dinning, who may or may not hold a resemblance to English actor/comedian/presenter Rufus Hound. And I may or may not have overenthusiastically shouted into the ear of the stranger next to me, "Oh! He looks like that comedian Rufus Hound!".
In terms of musicality, The Battles Of Winter have the potential to one day be up there as sonically influential as the likes of the comparisons they have cultivated. (Joy Division. Echo and The Bunnymen, The Doors and post-punk revivalists, Interpol to name a few). If truth be told, on this night their sound was too big for the small stage they were on. Too big for the venue space they were in. The guys started the show humorously with an accidental loss of drumsticks which saw Gale asking the crowd if they happened to have any they could borrow. This slight kerfuffle was soon rectified and they dived into an 8-track set (5 of the 8 tracks offered were taken from 'Standing At The Floodgates', the other 3; currently unreleased) to a lively and engaged audience. Some of whom were first time listeners who nodded along, smiling and foot tapping appreciatively. Whilst others seemed to be more seasoned fans who were singing along to the sometimes dark and deep lyricism and two ladies in particular casually and dedicatedly danced through the entirety of the set in a state of pure, carefree unadulterated pleasure.
Despite a few minor technical difficulties, being slightly cramped on the stage, not being able to rock out to the standard they could have wished for without crashing their instruments into each other, The Battles Of Winter blew the roof off The Macbeth with their fast paced, driving, and meticulous melodic punk sound. Live there is a much more noticeable nasal, high pitched variable to Gale's unique vocals that at times I found quite akin to Brian Molko of Placebo. Whether this was intentional or down to a technical fault I don't know but it worked really well (perhaps because I am a big Placebo fan). Incorporating moody melodic lows, energetic anthemic highs, experimental instrumentation and layer upon layer of blow-your-brains out, explosive post-punk bliss, The Battles Of Winter are a must-see band with a ferocious talent who would be much more at home on a larger stage, in a larger venue, where their sound can carry, resonate and breathe. Currently big fish in a little pool, we can't wait to see The Battles Of Winter sail along their own sound waves to finally rock out in deeper waters.
Set list:
Where Did You Get Those Fireworks
Falcons
White Count
Falcons
White Count
The Wrong Port
A Blackout For The Bloodsuckers
He Fell From Above And Hit The Rocks Below
Sainted Galleries
I Became A Station
A Blackout For The Bloodsuckers
He Fell From Above And Hit The Rocks Below
Sainted Galleries
I Became A Station
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