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Numskull

Dec 15, 2024 By Nick Roseblade Photography by Nick Roseblade Web Exclusive

The Cowley Club is a venue that I mean to go to more but always seem to miss shows there. Tonight, however, was one gig I wasn’t going to miss. Out of the four bands, I had seen two of them recently and the other two were new to me. Factor this in with the entrance fee being £4 and I was excited to attend. The gig was also organised by Brighton’s Solidarity Federation fundraiser gig for Palestine relief!

The night was started by Pleasance. This four-piece had a real bounce to them. Their songs seemed to be about how great being in love is, how much breakups suck and try not to be a dick some of the time. It’s a message to get behind. Of the four bands on the bill they were the most nuanced. They might not have been as heavy as Hollow Point or Numskull, but their songs were the most dynamic. They wonderfully built them up and down through feedback and clean guitars. The best song of their set, and almost of the whole night, was their debut single “Fruit”. This had an exquisite section where it slowly got really fuzzy then super LOUD and gradually brought it back down again, before building it up again. They are a band that I am excited to see again and again and again. They are really onto something and probably don’t realise how great their songs sound. They also have the potential to craft something beautiful and meaningful with a load of dirty fuzz in the middle.

M. Woodroe are a band on the rise. Their brand of arty and abrasive indie rock, with a small dollop of bands like Elastica and The Fall, is captivating. Out of all the bands on the bill they were the ones who were pushing boundaries. The last time I saw them, supporting Spectres, at The Hope and Ruin I was impressed how, randomly, through the set they’d just blown a whistle. I wondered if that was part of the songs. Turns out it isn’t. When the mood takes them, a whistle gets blown. This level of improvisation is inspired. It means that the songs always stay fresh and that anything could happen at any moment. During the set they announced that they’d only been a band since May. In a very short period of time they have totally honed their sound, style and aesthetic. The set ended with “Carte Blanche”. This was probably the best song of the night, second to Pleasance’s “Fruit”. Before they played it, they told the crowd that there will be a debut EP in the new year. I couldn’t work out what I was more excited about. Hearing one of my favourite songs of the year live or the prospect of an EP in the not too distant future.

Hollow Point were up next. This was the second time in as many weeks that I’d seen them. Their set was shorter than at The Albert, but it was heavier and more frenetic. The riffs were more pronounced, and they seemed tighter. The crowd was VERY engaged with them and some people were singing along. Not bad for a band with only one single out. Speaking of which, “Torn” was the standout moment. As at their last gig they left it until the end. This is a blistering track that leans into a 90s US alt-grunge sound more than any of their previous songs. If, or more to the point when, then the band can write two, or three, more songs that have the power, passion and conviction of ‘Torn’ they really will be a force to recon with.

Numskull was the final band of the night. They opened with an instrumental. This was unexpected, given how vocal they were about their vocals in the soundcheck. The music was juvenile, loud, brash, loud, catchy, loud, energetic and, um, did I say loud? It was also pretty generic. 4/4 drumbeat. Chugging bass. Power chords, solos, and some feedback. This is something underrated about big dumb rock. There is a complex simplicity to it. It works. The rest of the set was more of the same. But with vocals. The highlight of the set was “Mouse Trap”. The riffs were catchy. The vocals are fun, and slightly obnoxious. That’s the band in a nutshell though. What they do isn’t particularly clever, or forward thinking, BUT it is pretty enjoyable. And at the end of the day sometimes enjoyable is all that matters.

The only downside to the night was the running order. I would have liked to have seen Numskull and Hollow Point get things going. Then Pleasance with M. Woodroe headlining. I get why the night played out like it did. It’s hard to go from heavier music to slightly intricate stuff without there being a sound clash.