Gig Review: Geese at The Bodega

It fills me with so much joy when some of the bands I’m most excited about seem to share the same taste as me when it comes to choosing their support bands. This triple bill filled me with immense excitement on the stroll up to Bodega from my house in Lenton. In fact, I arrived a bit too early to head inside, and enjoyed a Bodega Lager (when in Rome) downstairs before heading upstairs to enjoy the show. 

Dura Mater are a difficult band to begin to describe. Combining brass with theatre with post-punk with the kitchen sink, this band of eight friends, who met at the University of Nottingham, have got a bright future ahead of them. They are on the cusp of doing some very exciting recordings and have wowed audiences across Nottingham with their incredibly unique sound.

Benjamin Preston, who spent much of the night at the helm with the microphone, has a dramatic energy that brings their music to life in front of a live audience. The revolving cast of characters on stage also ensure that no song sounds quite the same, and their jagged melodies and rhythms keep audiences engaged and on their toes. They’re maximalist, wonky and impressive. I can’t wait to see what happens for them, as their future opens up past graduation. 

It was lovely to see them spread their infectious energy throughout the night even past their set as they joined the rest of Bodega’s punters in jumping around and even stage diving during the following sets. You could catch the eight-piece pointing fingers and jumping up and down in the centre of the pit during Folly Group’s superhit I Raise You (The Price of Your Head), which the second band finished their set with. 

Folly Group similarly have a rotational feel to them, as the London-based experimentalists navigate different sounds and ideas throughout their discography. They move between instruments on stage, and push out big vibrant sounds with every song. Their tracks are infectiously danceable and high-energy, but often still have a political undertone, even with the whimsical addition of a cowbell to their set up. Once again, their riffs are perfectly wonky and their sonic maximalism perfectly suited the atmosphere of the evening. I was well and truly amazed, and I know where I’ll be next time they pay the city a visit. 

Quite the warm up then. And we still had the headliners to go. 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd so large at Bodega. I’ve been to sold out sets before, but for some reason this night seemed even more jam-packed than normal. I went outside to catch my breath in between Folly Group and Geese, and upon returning found that my standing choices had been limited to the side of the stage or wedged in between eager (and sweaty) post-punk fanatics.

There were already a host of Geese shirts in the crowd, and so many familiar faces from the local scene in the audience, including Do Nothing, who were in attendance. I’m almost surprised that it was Bodega that the band was visiting. I’m certain they could have packed out its big sister, Rescue Rooms. 

Their set opened with grand piano chords and delicate vocals; Domoto offered a completely different vibe to the get-up-and-at-them energy we’d just enjoyed from Folly Group. All of a sudden, we’d entered an emotional, fragile storybook. They made their presence known with this opening choice, with everybody in the room listening intently and in awe of these luscious vocals and raw humanity ripping through the room. 

We didn’t stay here though. Following up with the bouncier 2122, the country, psych-rock vibe entered the stage.and the room erupted into life. It was almost like Domoto allowed them to capture the room, and 2122 invited everyone to move along with them. I really liked the 1-2 of this. 

The rest of the night went from strength to strength, with Cameron Winter’s vocals in tracks like I See Myself, wowing the crowd, alongside Dominic DiGesu’s funky basslines. Particular crowd pleasers were of course, Cowboy Nudes and new track Jesse. 

The band even succumbed to desperate clamours for an encore, treating us to Gravity Blues and Low Era before sending us back out into the world. They brought a bit of Brooklyn’s experimental scene to Nottingham on their stop over, and showed us what all of the buzz really is about. 

Geese performed at The Bodega on 14th September 2023.