Into Live Music Review: The Wild Things
If you were asked which weekday was the least wild, there’s a good chance you’d say Tuesday. But The Wild Things, hailing from West London, have different ideas. Despite referencing Tuesday a few times, guitarist and lead vocalist Sydney Rae White made it her mission to change that ‘quiet night in’ notion – at least for seventy minutes or so.
The venue was Nice ‘n’ Sleazy in Glasgow, thought by many – alongside King Tut’s – to be the pick of the bunch of the city’s smaller venues. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the name, assuming (perhaps unfairly) that most folks would consider sleaziness an incompatible partner to the word ‘nice’. That aside, I’ve never been to a gig there where the sound has been poor or the crowd lacklustre. Even on a Tuesday.
While it could’ve been bigger (the Tuesday curse again?), the crowd were very much up for what the band had to offer. Performing tracks from, amongst others, their most recent album Afterglow, including their recent single, The Wild Things’ guitar-driven bangers were delivered with unabated energy and enthusiasm. Rae White’s vocals pierced through the noise effortlessly, ensuring the personality of the band was front and centre. To me, it’s always a sign of good technique and control when you can hear the lyrics, especially when the instrumentation is loud.
The poppier, more playful numbers reminded me a little of Billy No Mates, mainly in relation to the vocal delivery and phrasing, with the heavier numbers evoking the likes of Echobelly, Sleeper and Elastica, all 90s female-fronted bands with energetic application. A key thing to note about The Wild Things is that all five members looked like they were really enjoying themselves. They’d no doubt played their set umpteen times in rehearsal and at other stops on the tour, yet what they exhibited in terms of body language and expression came across with as much joy as the first time they’d nailed it . . . and when the band are relishing the experience that much, especially in all-important smaller venues where bands cut their teeth and build their fanbase, it can’t but help being reflected in the crowd’s response.
Nineties music is clearly having a resurgence at the moment, and whilst The Wild Things may or may not be consciously tapping into this, their youthful exuberance and the way they execute their material feels simultaneously fresh and nostalgic – at least to a reviewer in his forties anyway!
Prior to the gig, and having been unfamiliar with the band, my +1 and I listened to a handful of tracks online. Over a pint, we agreed they were decent, but – as is so often the case – a live performance is a different experience altogether. This is not to say there were any issues with the recordings we listened to – ‘I Can’t Wait’, ‘Knock Down, Drag Out’ and ‘Only Attraction’ (featuring The Who’s Pete Townsend) are well recorded and produced, but live is clearly where The Wild Things excel. On a recording, the degree of wildness is often determined by the sound engineer. Live, however, gives the band almost exclusive control. On the live mix, the kick drum was perhaps a little loud, but overall the blend allowed the crowd to hear the set as intended, meaning the band could just relax and get on with what they’re good at.
Engagement was top-notch too, with Sydney Rae White talking to the crowd enough to make a connection, but never overdoing it to levels of cheese or neediness. At one point, she even joined the crowd, mingling, making eye contact and giving the occasional high-five, maintaining a vocal melody while watching her bandmates perform. It was like we were all pals that disconnect that can occur between some bands and their fans was non-existent. Having learnt that some of the band also work as actors, including Rae White, it was clear how at home they all were on stage working a Tuesday night size audience with ease.
I couldn’t help notice that it was quite the cross-section of fans; a relatively even gender split incorporating all ages and hairstyles. On that, the band members’ hair was as diverse as it was impressive, ranging from guitarist Rob Kendrick’s turquoise mop top, bassist Cam White with the back-in-fashion mullet and Sydney Rae White’s hybrid pixie cut/ Spinal Tap do, coinciding nicely with the sequel’s release. These factors contributed to the visual appeal of the band, an important aspect some might argue, although not as key as the quality of their material, which was performed tightly and professionally.
Drummer Pete Wheeler and bassist Cam White held everything together with solid beats and grooves, allowing the others to sit comfortably on top, including their session keyboard player. I highlight this because sometimes keys can end up drowned out when distorted guitars are in the mix, but his contribution came through well, without him sounding like he was wrestling against other instrumentation; a sign of a sound engineer that knows what they’re doing, but also a sign of good song writing/arrangement as a band. My only criticism, if you can call it that, is that The Wild Things’ best song is yet to come. Their material is accessible, vibrant and entertaining, but I think there’s a belter that will materialise in the near future that’ll catch people off-guard, the way A-ha’s ‘Manhattan Skyline’ or The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ did. Time will tell . . .
The Wild Things say that they love playing Glasgow, and there’s no doubt Glasgow would love to have them back for another night of entertainment and wildness, sleazy in a nice way or otherwise . . . but maybe not on a Tuesday next time.
Dickson Telfer
@DicksonTelfer
Photos courtesy of D.Telfer/S.Jones