LIVE: Parks and Lois

31/10/2011

Aside from its night-job as one of Nottingham’s dingiest dungeons of dance, Stealth has been known on the odd occasion to play host to some cracking little live music gigs. Fortunately for Darren Howard, catching up with local bands Parks and Lois for their Tribes support slot meant he got to witness precisely that.

Parks live at Stealth - Photo by Dave Goodwin

To kick things off...Parks:

A sparkling new band on the Nottingham scene, (despite a couple of their crew being part of one Nina Smith’s band) Parks could count the number of live gigs they’ve played as a unit on a set of bass guitar strings. With an apparent affinity for mandolins, beards, and general acoustrickery, Parks produced some sweetly melodic 3-part harmonies, mixed with the occasional stomping alt/country rock number that set them out as a band to watch.

Guitarists Joe Webb and Rob Harris seem to both be blessed with a warm tone to their vocals, and they shared lead duties with commendable aplomb. The rhythm section also played a strong set, with bassist Richard Fountain showing dexterity and taste, and Zach Becker delivering on drums. With decent dynamics and a relaxed stage presence, Parks could have quite a full tour diary by the end of the year.

Lois live at Stealth - Photo by Dave Goodwin

Next up were local boys LOIS.

Fresh as toast from the release of their excellent debut EP Velvet Mornings, LOIS strolled casually like jaguars onto the stage and immediately you got the sense that they were about to take everyone to another level. And they didn't disappoint, blasting through 11 tracks of high quality vintage Indie-rock, several of which could make it as singles. To my mind this band has one of the best ears for a pop melody in Nottingham.

Song themes such as The Polperro Horse Bus Company belie a distinctly English songwriting sensibility in the vein of The Kinks' Ray Davies or Stevie Marriott from The Small Faces, and coupled with some great guitar and Hammond keyboard lines, they create a strong and individual character that marries retro cool with immediacy and genuine passion. Each band member played out of their skin, with singer John Selby aiming to smash a hole in the rear wall with his considerable vocal prowess.

One number stood out for me in particular - a track called Be True To Yourself. Along with another strong melody and possibly the most stirring chorus I've heard this year, this seemed to me to be almost a theme song for LOIS. In spite of what faintly ridiculous entities such as T4, kids magazines and fashion labels tell people they should wear/listen to/talk like, (cue The Dickhead Song on YouTube) this band are true to their own passions, and it shows through the cohesion and strength of their songs which can transcend fads and fashions by the simple fact of their quality.

If there's one thing I don't understand, it's why LOIS aren't playing bigger venues. Someone's definitely missing a trick there.

Parks and LOIS supported Tribes at Stealth on Tuesday 25 October 2011.