Live Review - Montroze, Better Days, The Overcast and Safeguard

Montroze, Better Days, The Overcast & Safeguard @ The Flapper, Birmingham 9/8/17

It’s raining, summer is over and autumn is here. That hasn’t stopped your faithful Hush team braving the elements to come and check out a few bands at The Flapper in Birmingham. 

Opening the show tonight, Safeguard are a living testament that punk is alive and kicking, and there is a new generation that is flying the flag; young, spunky and not yet broken by the cynicism of the music industry. They are an authentic take on an old school sound, obviously still honing and learning their craft, they bring a noise and an attitude that some more mature bands could learn from. It’s still early here at The Flapper, and the crowd is a little sparse, but Safeguard have already whipped them into a frenzy. 

Enthusiastic bands are obviously the theme for the evening as The Overcast take to the stage with a massive burst of energy, the first time they’ve played Birmingham and having only been a band a year, The Overcast are already a polished operation. Their look is authentic and classic, and it totally matches their sound. Songs are just heavy enough, just punk enough, and just pop-y enough to captivate a large demographic. We expect big things from The Overcast, definitively a name to look out for. 

Another band taking to a Birmingham stage for the first time, Better Days hailing from Newcastle have a great look and a good sound. Blasting out anthemic pop punk, they grab the audience with one catchy tune after the other. On a bill of bands that dare I say so far all sound a little similar, Better Days do just enough to stand out from the crowd and warm up for tonights headliners. 

Montroze take to the stage with an air of confidence, maturity and professionalism we have yet to see tonight. Straight from the outset we’re treated with a sound that is genuinely and authentically rehearsed and polished. Frontman Jason has an amazing presence full of life, passion and charisma; owning the stage, commanding the crowd and leading the band forward. The band themselves are tight, really tight; and in this genre that can really set you apart, every stop is bang on, and every in is perfect. The band themselves including Jason, although headlining tonight, come across as properly humble guys, grateful for a sunday night crowd who has paid their hard earned cash to stay late and watch them. This is a band worth watching, though it’s a shame more haven’t turned up to see them on this wet Sunday evening. They deserve a bigger crowd; these guys could well be your next favourite band! And we’ve definitely come away planning to listen. 

We’ve had a great time at The Flapper in Birmingham, a venue that we don’t come to very often but we’ll definitely be making more of an effort to come down and check out bands here!