Thank, The Peer Hat. 26th February 2022

I’m ending a busy week of gigs with a real treat. I’ve been to The Peer Hat before but never for a gig. What a great room. It feels oddly small, but spacious at the same time and the sound, my god the sound! It’s bloody loud. That might be partly due to Obey Cobra who are supporting. They deal in the sort of pulverising drone rock that can rearrange your organs. The tempos are slow, the vocals haunting, the drums devastating and the guitars and Korg sound like they’re ushering the apocalypse. They’re like Sunn O))) spliced with Brian Jonestown Massacre, playing David Lynch’s birthday party. Things get faster and punkier as they close, but these songs feel more like movements than songs. It’s an incredible performance, but so loud I’m a little fearful I’ll be deaf before the headline and head back upstairs for a little break before Thank take the stage. I’ve become a little obsessed with this band over the last month so my expectations are high. It’s still loud. The sound guy in here must be a madman, but it’s brilliant. There’s a lot more space in Thank’s sound. It’s still fucking heavy, but more DIY post punk. Menacing rhythm at the core, layered up with some bonkers synth madness curtesy of a lad that reminds me of Jonny Greenwood with a desk full of bits he’s clearly built himself to make some serious noise. All this is great but even with this truly brutal noise going on. It’s the lyrics that set them apart. Singer Freddy screams, sings, talks in an aggressively prophetic manner. “Tonight Mathew I am nothing and I’m okay with that, tonight Matthew I’ll shit in my own hands and clap”. Live it’s funny, terrifying, uncompromising… and utterly brilliant. They’re an odd bunch too. The drummer looks and plays like he could kill anything that didn’t make him smile. The bassist bounces like he’s playing a funk band (he’s not). They’re fantastic to watch. I see a lot of bands and trust me this lot are incredible. If you need a taster, give the closing song ‘Dread’ a go. “There’s never been a good band from London, there’s never been a good band over the age of 25, there’s never been a good band from Leeds, in fact there’s never been a good band that’s ever been alive”. This lot are from Leeds and probably over 25. Trust me they’re better than good. It’s a short set, 30 minutes and done, but it’s the best 30 minutes I’ve witnessed in a while. Stunning.