Yak
Probably the most immediately noticeable thing about Norwich Arts Centre is that it is a church. No, not even probably. It’s just fact. And that’s the feature YAK barnacled themselves to, frontman name mention the religious setting continuously over their energetic hour and a bit set.
Energetic is the key word here, so much so that my back ran out of energy before the headline band did. That’s no fault of Yak, though, just the fault of my aching bones. Even so, the gig was high-octane, powerful, and loud.
The Norwich band Pin Ups open the show with clean cut indie tracks. The trio have a decent amount of energy but are nothing hugely special—if you like that kind of thing, then you’re set, but for me, I like a bit more bite.
Much heavier Kunk are the second support, with their screeching guitars and torrential volume, they are ideal for instilling a bit of energy back into a lagging gig-goer. At one point, the frontman chucks his guitar about and messes with the amp, sending a shockwave of feedback throughout the church. It certainly makes anyone with half their attention on the band give them their full effort.
At almost 10pm, Yak take to the stage of the Arts Centre. Immediately, it’s clear that there is a careful craft to their live performance. Each track blends perfectly into the one preceding it, and for the first few songs, there isn’t really a gap. Frontman Oliver Burslem has a knack for keeping the crowd involved in the band’s performance, and keeps us on our toes throughout their hour-and-a-bit set. There are a few moments where I struggle to hear the more subtle elements of each song, in particular the vocal riff in ‘Bellyache’, the first single from the band’s second album. ‘Bellyache’ is possibly my favourite Yak song, mainly for its panpipe solo at the start and the vocals, but these are both lost in the hubbub of the live performance. These things happen, though, and I know it’s difficult to translate layered subtleties into loud live environments. I had just hoped it wouldn’t happen with this particular track. However, some heavier songs from the album sound just as great coming from the Arts Centre speakers, such as ‘Fried’ and the oldie ‘Hungry Heart’. It’s just a shame that my body gives up before the band do--by the end of the night I’m desperate for a lie down.
Equally, that is not Yak’s fault in the slightest, and I walk away having had a great night in a great venue, just a tad exhausted.
