The Black Light Parade, formerly known as The Kull, is a rejuvenated band with a fresh name and a new way of putting on events.
Instead of a generic EP launch in a venue like Rescue Rooms, they decided to host an event at Nottingham arts theatre to raise money for Amnesty International, and bought three of their favourite local bands to join them.
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First on the bill was We Show Up On Radar whose music was very fitting given the surroundings. Remember sitting in school assemblies and being overtly conscious of talking to people so you wouldn’t get in trouble? Well that’s weirdly how the tranquil theatre felt which gave the atmosphere a certain charm. But much like the recent We Show Up On Radar library tour, every beautiful note sung by Andy Wright was distinctly clear.
His heart’s on his sleeve with lyrics like “I’m not scared of anything other than being alone.” but his sweet bashful presence shows in reality it’s quite daunting to be so emotionally open. He almost whispers the words to the acoustic guitar he delicately plucks and it’s quite impossible to ignore a second of the captivating honesty.
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Next was Spotlight Kid (who actually have a Wikipedia page by the way, next stop front cover of NME?) who show us why we should be paying attention if only for their track record. Between them the band members were formerly in established acts Six By Seven and Model Morning and a local appearance is a bit of a rarity.
The instrumental track they chose to open with really lays the foundations of what this bands about. The My Bloody Valentine and shoe gaze generalisations are obvious but their genuine passion for playing live music shows there’s a bit more to that. It’s like watching each member go off in the their own little world oblivious to their surroundings. Together they create a huge sonic wave that crashes and disperses into an alternative psychedelic world.
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Next up is the quirky experimental Fists who work on different levels to keep us entertained. On one side you have the sweet and slightly sombre vocals of Angi Fletcher who clearly immerses herself in the music, while the other side you have the upbeat and kookiness when Pete Conway gets involved (who also adds humour to the band with his witty remarks)
Not keen to sit on the generic shelf they use washboards to bring out the rockabilly sound and a megaphone to make sure they’re heard. Every gig is a motley of musical dimensions, which is what makes them the exciting band they are, and tonight was no exception.
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Before The Black Light Parade made their entrance they reminded us why we were all there with Amnesty International facts shown on the big screen.
As soon as they come on stage you could tell they’d been looking forward to tonight’s gig for a while and were determined to put on a great show.
Vocalist Andrew Shipley brings the forceful and diligent sound together with his intense and passionate voice. They played the best tracks from their Amongst The Trees album and showed that the craft they hone gets more proficient as time goes by.
Highlights included the solemn and slow burner The House, which evolves into a crashing sound of guitars while Andrew sings with all his heart “We should be making this now”. In other songs there’s a subtle dark Thom Yorke tone with the repetitive “We’re all looking for something” but whatever comparisons you can think of, you can’t deny they remain original and are definitely worth keeping your eyes and ears on.
The money raised for Amnesty International was originally intended for the violence against women campaign but as this ended last month, the money will go to any cause Amnesty sees appropriate.
