On a night when it seemed every band in Nottingham was hitting the town to play, we headed to The Bodega to see the return of the mighty Kagoule with touring buddies Catholic Action and mates Do Nothing...
First support Do Nothing look a little bit nervous tonight. Opening at The Bodega for local heroes Kagoule and with a room full of people eager to hear them, they start off with a stutter when they get terrible mic feedback but, they start again. We get a wry smile from their frontman, who looks like Ian Curtis, all dressed in black and all skin and bones and they start again. They’re a band introducing new material which, for any band, is daunting but especially when you’ve also recently changed your band name and musical direction. The nerves though are a good sign, a sign of a band who really care about what they’re doing and the songs back it up. Their eight song set has dashes of Genghar, Wild Beasts and stripped back Bombay Bicycle Club. Stand out tracks New One (it gets two intros due to previously mentioned nerves) and To the Dogs show how talented these boys are and especially their gifted guitarist Kasper who shreds his way through each song like butter through a knife. Do Nothing needn’t be nervous, they’ve definitely got something to be confident about and there’s no one around here doing what they are doing. Once the nerves settle, they’ll be formidable.
When I asked my mate Jimi if he fancied some 'Catholic action' on a Friday night his response was of bemusement and excitement. I was, of course, referring to the Glaswegian pop outfit Catholic Action who provide the main support tonight and with a recent string of Radio 1 airplays, they’re being tipped as another big Scottish cross over pop band. Opening with their biggest single to date, Do It Well followed by their ace first single, Rita Ora, a krautrock ode to the X-factor star, they show their intent and also that they know their audience. They ramp-up the intensity of the set flying through songs from their debut album, only out last week, and live they’re a much bigger monster showing why they’re being tipped by so many. Think Teenage Fanclub if they were into post punk and on Postcard Records. Definitely ones to watch.
Tonight is all about the return of Kagoule. It seems a life time ago when they released their debut album, Urth, but they are back and they’re here to play some new songs in their hometown. The Bodega is rammed and it feels like a family reunion. Earlier tonight, all three members of Kagoule stood front row and centre to watch Do Nothing, supporting their local team and their love is reciprocated as everyone here seems to be a friend of this staunchly defiant DIY band who have rarely chased the spotlight and have always let their music do the talking. First thing we find out is that there is definitely no second album syndrome as they play as a band full of confidence. Songs from Urth return like an old friend, Glue sounds incredible and it’s a symbol of the strength of the band as they sound tighter than ever. Bass player and vocalist Lucy, ever the introvert, apologies before singing main vocals on a new song It’s Not My Day but there is no need to say sorry, it’s another great new song that is about as melancholy as you can be after being hit by a tram. They play a monster set, debuting a shedload of new songs but they close with Made of Concrete and It Knows It, from their debut album, which sends the crowd into a frenzy and leaves everyone wanting some more. Tonight, Kagoule show us that they have an arsenal of new songs at their disposal and that they mean business. Kagoule are back and they’re as bad ass as ever.
Kagoule, Catholic Action and Do Nothing were at The Bodega on Friday 3 November 2017.
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