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Jun 12, 2023 By Nick Roseblade Photography by Mike Burnell Web Exclusive

“So, the gig is 6:30 then?” I asked myself three hours before Squid’s instore at Resident Records in Brighton. “Yeah” I answered myself. “By that logic I need to get there by 6-ish to get a good spot in the queue, so I get a good spot inside”. All was going to plan. I left with enough time and the bus was on time. As I rounded the corner on Kensington Gardens, I could see a queue forming. When I joined it was just past Resident’s second door. When we entered 25-mins later it was almost to the end of that section of the North Laines. Inside the shop filled up quickly. The atmosphere was buoyant. This was in part because of the unexpected summery June weather and because the band were in their positions and ready to go. Just after the allowed time, Squid played their first note, and we were off.

Performing in front of the Squideaux Tapestry the band were in fine form. Before playing new album O Monolith’s opening track “Swing (In a Dream)” drummer and singer Ollie Judge said “We’re normally more progged up with choirs and banks of synths. This is our MTV Unplugged set”. Then notes were played. Cowbells banged. Words sung and the crowd was under their spell. As I looked around the assembled fans in Resident, I was shocked, and pleased, by how many were singing along with “Swing (In a Dream)”. Remember this is a song that had come out, officially, the previous day and these loyal acolytes knew all the words. Some were even belting them out louder then Ollie. Next up was another new one “Devil’s Den”. “This is the first gig in a long time when the crowd’s eyeline is higher than mine” Judge joked “Really puts you in your place…”. What separates these new songs, and album, from their last batch is the groove. In the past Squid got in the groove for a bit more transitioned to the next part of the song. This time around they get locked in and stayed there for much longer. This gives the crowd a greater chance to revel in the joyous cacophony created. As if to demonstrate these the next two songs were from their 2021 debut Bright Green Field. “Documentary Filmmaker” received a rousing cheer. Never has a lyric felt as true as the mantra “Cause it was warm in the summer, Warm in the summer, Warm in the summer, Warm in the summer”. After a dubby interlude “GSK” erupted from the fingers of the band and the crowd was bouncing in their sweat soaked socks. Next up was a new, new song “Rochdale”. Since making its live debut in 2022 “Rochdale” wasn’t on O Monolith so some are speculating it’ll feature on ‘Squid III’ whenever that comes out. Played here, in an intimate venue, it took on quasi-religious overtones. Soaring organs, that sounded dystopically gospel, were dripping in benediction. The six set was ended with “Undergrowth”. The band looked to enjoy playing this more than the others. The skewed hip-hop got everyone bouncing again. Then it was all over and we were shuffling out into the oppressive heat of Brighton in the summer.

Throughout the crowd were receptive, but the band seemed more moved. They looked generally seemed touched by their friends in peers in attendance. But this is always the nature of a hometown show. These might be the most intimate gigs Squid perform for a while. If you have tickets to go, you better be thanking your past self as you are in for a treat. If you don’t have tickets do what you can to get one and lament your poor life decisions because this was monolithic!