Live review submitted by Gavin Milligan. If you would like to write for All-Noise, send your reviews to [email protected]
Palma Violets – Brixton Jamm, Thursday 25 October
They are raucous, they are rowdy, most importantly their music is good, bloody good.
If unpretentious, balls out rock is your thing and you haven’t heard of the four London lads known as Palma Violets, then it won’t be long before you do. These boys are kicking up a storm, having been championed as “the next big thing” by the NME for some time; the Violets have toured the country playing gigs and festivals, wowing punters with the electric atmosphere they produce at their shows.
Signed to the one and only Rough Trade records, they recently released their first single “Best of Friends” with the anthem “Last of the Summer Wine” as the mouth-watering B-side . Their music screams out brash, youthful exuberance.
With the Palma Violets buzz gaining intensity at an epic rate, I headed down to Brixton Jamm to see them live. I have to be honest, I hadn’t been this excited to see an up and coming band live for some time. There was a definite air of anticipation, with a real myriad of ages amongst the crowd, and a lot of chatter with most conversations containing the sentence “I’ve been waiting for ages to see them”. The lights dim and the band take the stage Chilli Jesson, Sam Fryer, Peter Mayhew and Will Doyle.
The place erupts as they begin the set, storming through tracks such as “Rattlesnake Highway”, the absolutely brilliant “Tom the Drum” and of course the single “Best of Friends”.
There are obvious similarities with fellow Rough Trade veterans The Libertines. It’s easy to see why when you watch Chilli and Sam’s relationship on stage. They bound about and crash into each other with wilful abandon. It’s all very reminiscent of Pete and Carl. However, they are an extremely talented band in their own right. Whilst many of the comparisons being made of the band against some of the great names of modern British rock are flattering, they are clearly building something potentially monumental all of their own.
The band played for a good hour with two encore songs before finishing up; which led to an impromptu stage invasion which had to be broken up by security. It was a fittingly chaotic ending to the show by a band whose music feels like exquisitely constructed chaos. The gig seemed to be over almost as soon as it started, with such intensity it felt like they had been on for 15 minutes. It’s was the epitome of the saying “time flies when you’re having fun”. This is a band on the cusp of something big, I for one hope they make it happen.
There are still some dates left on the UK tour so if you’re fortunate to be near enough to one of the venues the band are playing, then what are you waiting for?
As the band’s slogan says: I accept Palma Violets!
Maybe you will too!
