Live Review - Hands Off Gretel

Hands Off Gretel @The Rainbow, Birmingham

A Wednesday night gig is always a weird one as a gig goer, half way through the week- so you are bollocked from work, but not quite close enough to the weekend to be overly pumped! I imagine that most people approach a show on a Wednesday night with trepidation. Thankfully, Hands Off Gretel have the ability  to help you shake off any mid-week blues.

The bands booked for the show had brought out a strange mixture of different people into The Rainbow, which is I suppose, something ideal for a band that wants to play as much as possible and grow a fan-base, but let’s not beat around the bush- we were here for Hands Off Gretel. The colourful Yorkshire quarter (whose album is available for pre-order from today) approach the stage with no fanfare, they plug in their instruments, signal the sound engineer and power into their set. The alternative music scene in the UK can sometimes feel very saturated with “samey” bands, but Hands Off Gretel offer an alternative to the norm, an old school punky and grungey vibe, with a hint of jazz and soul, if you were on mushrooms whilst watching them play it would be one trippy fucking experience.

With female fronted bands, it can often be the case that the other musicians fall to the background, with all the attention heading towards the “pretty lady”, but with Hands Off Gretel each member contributes and holds their own, which can only be a sign of unity, which you hope would lead to a band which can stand the test of time, and the ups and downs of an industry that thrives of creativity and collaboration.