Gig Review: False Heads at The Bodega

In all honesty, I didn’t know too much about False Heads before going to their show at Nottingham’s Bodega. Nonetheless, I jumped at the opportunity to see the trio perform live, and I was excited at the prospect of seeing them without any prior ideas of what was to come.

Firstly, I feel it’s important to mention the two support acts of the evening, who I hadn’t heard of before the performance. Firstly, were sister duo ALT BLK ERA, who I thought were excellent despite not being the biggest fan of trap metal music.

Unsurprisingly, ballad Even if We’re Not Lunar was my favourite song that they performed; with its beautiful harmonies, it was a vulnerable moment. I thought that Nyrobi and Chaya were a brilliant support act for False Heads, as they were probably one of the only local acts that could bring an energy high enough to compare with the vivacity of False Heads.

The second band to perform were Kynch, who I hadn’t heard of before that night but who I’ve since been told have built up quite a reputation in the Nottingham rock and indie scene. After seeing their performance, I felt late to the bandwagon! It’s difficult not to fall in love with Nottingham four-piece, featuring Jack Cobb on lead vocals, Will Tansley on drums, Will Hennessey on Bass, and Joel Goddon on guitar and vocals.

Cobb led an eccentric and charismatic performance, singing with a great tone and a truckload of passion. Watching Kynch, I enjoyed the memorable riffs, catchy melodies, and broody lyrics, and I will make sure to catch several more of their performances in the future.

With False Heads consisting of Luke Griffiths on vocals and guitar, Jake Elliott on bass, and Barney Nash on drums, one of the first things I noticed (and admired) was how connected the three felt to each other. In the few moments where they weren’t interacting with the crowd, they were interacting with one another, clearly soaking up the adrenaline of performing together.

I particularly liked how Griffiths and Elliott were able to keep Nash at the forefront of the performance, as too often drummers get lost in the background, limited by the fact that they’re stuck in their seat. Nash’s performance was outstanding throughout, and it was nice to see what a key role he played in keeping the band and the audience high in energy up throughout.

After nearly every song, the trio would encourage the audience to move closer to the stage, which succeeded in keeping everyone energised throughout the set. At no point was this clearer than during Slease, when Griffiths encouraged everyone to sit on the ground before jumping around at the song’s peak. This was definitely a turning point for the crowd, the majority of whom seemed a bit dreary before this obligatory participation!

At one point, Nash mentioned that the band had gone to the Spoons in the Market Square before the gig, before unsurprisingly commenting on how dodgy it was. Seeing as the performance took place in Hockley, I was shocked that they had managed to pick the absolute worst Spoons in Nottingham for their pre-show endeavours, but it was an entertaining anecdote, nonetheless.

The between-song chats were fun and laid-back, and if you were chatting to them after the show, it was evident that both the band and the crowd enjoyed the intimacy of The Bodega. Griffiths’ stage presence was all over the place, in the very best way, and he had total command of the room. He lay on the floor, jumped on (and off) the stage to come dance with the audience, stood on the drum kit multiple times, and even stood on top of a giant speaker for the big finale, before jumping off and re-joining the crowd.

The final song, which was of course Rabbit Hole, was certainly a highlight of the gig. It even saw Griffiths invite someone (clearly the biggest fan in the room) to shout “BACK DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE!” down the microphone. This was definitely something to remember, and it was the best way to end a show that was electrifying from start to finish.

bodeganottingham.com