Cabbage
My expectations were high in the run up to Cabbage’s gig at the Norwich Arts Centre last night. They were great at The Mash Tun for the Sound and Vision festival in 2016 and blew Blossoms out of the water whilst supporting them at the Nick Rayns LCR earlier this year. I’d done some preparatory listens for the support acts too and liked what I’d heard so it’s fair to say I was was excited for the night ahead.
Arriving a few minutes before the first band took to the stage I was struck by just how few people were at the Arts Centre. Nevertheless, I joined the other 5 or 6 people in the main room and shortly afterwards Queen Zee & The Sasstones sauntered on. The energy of the band was infectious and there was a delicious urgency in the music, so much so that very soon the venue was populated with far more than the initial few. This is always a good sign and the crowd and the band fed off of each other. I was impressed with how tight the band were and I got a sense that they know what they are about, which is always a big tick for me. Perhaps there was a hint of similarity to other bands I have seen before but it’s early days for them and I’ll be interested to see what they do next. They left the stage to decent and well deserved applause.
Next up were The Blinders who took to the stage with a menacing presence which I for one enjoyed. Much like the previous band their set was good and loud but for the most part I found this volume actually made it difficult to tell one song from another. This was a shame as when things were slowed down a little such as on the penultimate tune Ramona Flowers we were able to get a better idea of who they were. This song endeared them to the crowd which meant that the closing song was received well as it descended into a cacophony of fuzz. A quick ‘cheers’ from the band and they were off, leaving the ever growing crowd a short break to grab a beer before the main event.
And so to Cabbage, a band who have been responsible for some of my most memorable shows in the last 12 months. The crowd was visibly excited as the minutes ticked down and once the band took to the stage it took a matter of moments for the moshing to start. This was something that continued throughout, even during the slower moments such as on Because You’re Worth It and Tell Me Lies About Manchester – I’ve never understood moshing in slower tracks. What was clear though was that the crowd were really up for it and the band did their all to stoke these passions. Necroflat In the Palace and Disso(pencil)nance were huge and received rapturously. Terrorist Synthesizer sparked large scale singalongs in the chorus and the closer Uber Capitalist Death Trade was just a powerhouse of a song sparking the largest moshing of the night.
Newer songs such as Fraudulent Artist were received fairly well, yet perhaps not as much as those on the earlier EPs and conspicuous for its absence was Dinner Lady. I’m all for a band forging a path with new music and playing it live but to miss out one of their best was a shame. Perhaps it was due to its relative levity in a setlist with an ever growing serious social and political slant. The only major blip of the night in my eyes was Free Charles Bronson which never really seemed to get off the ground and click into place.
Despite this it was a good show and the band were on top form as they hammered through the set. The guitar work for me was a particular highlight and a key element in whipping the crowd into a fervour. The crowd for the most part lapped this up and I got a sense that they were looking to Cabbage to provide that release which is so often needed but few other bands can deliver. At times Cabbage did just that. While it’s not the best I’ve seen them they were certainly very good. Perhaps I was expecting too much, after all it’s only early days in their existence as a band, and with a new album in the works for next year who knows what gems may be contained in that and what a live prospect they may become.
