The Slow Readers Club | Bristol Thekla
Posted on: 2017-11-18
Our rating:
Make no mistake about it – The Slow Readers Club is going to be massive. They already are pretty big in their hometown and have been doing this long enough to know what works but I think they’re just around the corner from even bigger success..
The Thekla was rammed with a sold out appreciative audience last night (Friday 17th November) as indie-electro band The Slow Readers Club brought their fast paced and intense ‘Through the Shadows Tour’ to Bristol.
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This Mancunian four piece are creating waves; they’re selling out venues and already have a large following full of loyal fans – and I for one had to drop my original plans and make sure I was at this gig because they excite and intrigue me in equal measure. Neither myself, or any of the crowd for that matter, were disappointed by the show that these lads put on because they clearly gave it their all and the enthusiasm never wavered.
They started their 70 minute set with one of their older tracks called ‘Fool For Your Philosophy’ and I was struck by how much they reminded me of one of my favourite bands of all time – New Order. Not in a rip off way but more in terms of a well-placed nod towards a style that is better kept alive than ever forgotten about; they have done well to have a sprinkling of this style cast across their tunes.
The ease with which these guys took to the stage was impressive; lead singer Aaron Starkie had his focus on point from the very start and the systematic beats bounced off the walls of the Thekla. There were clearly a lot of die-hard fans in the audience as they knew all the words and you could see a sea of smiling faces and waving arms across the floor.
After they moved onto ‘Sirens’ and the powerful ‘Start Again’ (where everyone copied Aaron’s arm actions which mimicked the hands on a clock) – the main man then said: “Thank you very much, it’s great to see you here. Thank you so much for supporting us.” Then it was straight into yet more tunes with even more heartful and memorable lyrics; that’s the thing about this band – their words dive deep into your soul, pull it out of you and then slam it into your heart. Their words are clear, concise and stark.
‘Grace of God’ meant Aaron moved onto the keyboard and then we heard new song ‘Not the Only One’ – but the songs that seemed to get the most cheers when they were announced were ‘Feet on Fire’ (which saw the lights turn to red) and their new single 'Lunatic' (which has really piqued the interest of the music industry).
Make no mistake about it – The Slow Readers Club is going to be massive. They already are pretty big in their hometown and have been doing this long enough to know what works, but I think they’re just around the corner from even bigger success. There is an air of excitement about all of their work and it was there to see during this gig when Aaron said: “Our next album will be out…some point next year.” The crowd did one massive collective ‘Ahhhhhh’ to which the reply was: “We need to finish it first and then there’s Xmas. Thanks for your support!”
For their encore, we were treated to three more tunes, ending on ‘I Saw a Ghost’ and then there was an opportunity to meet the lads and get some signatures; they really do know how to court their fans and it’s an important lesson that this level of interaction with the audience will get you somewhere. Gone are the days of rude indie lads becoming global successes, it’s time to follow the lead of this band who have manners as well as true talent.
Article by:
Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
