Music

Splint / Legss / Umarells / Drivers / Martial Arts @ Soup live review – a post-punk cacophony

0 455

Featured image: Talie Rose Eigeland


There are murmurings from the local underground, whispers that a bunch of upstarts are onto something. Tantalising clips of gig-goers flinging themselves senseless around the Star & Garter to a band who have released a grand total of zero songs.

There’s no moshing tonight – it’s only 6pm, after all – but Martial Arts are the real deal. The quintet have an innate knack for locking onto a hook and ramming it home with such ferocity that, should lead singer Jim Marson ever become a postman, he’ll smash letterboxes from their hinges with each delivery.

Take ‘The New House’ and its joyous gang vocals, where each member knows, just knows in their soul, that they’ve written a humdinger. Then there’s a song so fresh that it’s still untitled, which ramps up the intensity to levels last reached on the re-entry of Apollo 13.

Martial Arts have only been gigging since April, but being this accomplished already is bang out of order.

Drivers, meanwhile, take us down a more experimental path, their intricate songs creep and crawl before pouncing.

In front of amps propped up on chairs, the bassist takes centre stage. He needs to. He sways as though he’s on a fishing boat listing in a storm, his instrument swatting away at imaginary kraken and hydra and the all-too-real human front row who duck for cover.

“We’re kinda sandwiched between some heavier bands,” says Umarells singer/synth player, Imogen Badrock. “But we hope you enjoy it.”

They’re wonderful. With twinkling keys and gentle melodies batted between Badrock and guitarist, Josh Yeung, they’re effectively a resurrection of tweecore titans, Just Handshakes. Penultimate track, ‘You’re Not Here’ prompts a mass shoulder shimmy, while ‘Closer’ ensures they leave to deserved whoops and hollers from the Saturday night crowd.

Technical gremlins delay London-based Legss’s introduction. “That’s a bit annoying, innit?” says their leader, Ned Green, before steaming into the title track from their new Fester EP. The louder he screams, the tighter he scrunches his eyes, and the wilder their post-Movember ‘tache followers tumble into each other.

Legss rely on tension, build-up, and dark lyrical gymnastics rather than anything as gauche as choruses. In the live setting at least, it works.

Fronted by former Working Men’s Club guitarist, Jake Bogacki, Splint also eschew the standard verse-chorus-verse setup. The five-piece lather themselves into a cacophony before they’ve even said hello; a bowed guitar sets the foreboding tone, before an exchange of nods propels them into their opener proper.

They’re a group who explore the kernel of an idea until it’s drained. Entire songs coalesce around a single motif, pressing and cajoling it until it reveals its secrets. This can mean unexpected twists, including a twin guitar solo, which for a few seconds somehow turns them into Calderdale’s answer to Iron Maiden. 

‘Awaiting Hills’ sees them at their gruff best, with the Martial Arts lads leading the ‘I will die on a hill’ sing-along down the front. Splint won’t give you an instant hit of adrenaline but, with patience, they can be mesmeric. 

About the author / 

Ian Burke

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Ten love songs that aren’t just about heartbreak

    Featured image: James Kelly  It seems we’re all unanimous in saying that love is one of those mystifying, uncontrollable forces of nature, and this is not a new sentiment. See the entire discography of music and poetic works dating back to ancient times and earlier (or your ‘sad’ playlist – which we all have) for proof. Despite…

  • A Complete Unknown film review – An enigmatic portrayal of a musical luminary

    Featured image: Press A Complete Unknown is an evocative musical commentary and expertly crafted biopic following the life of Bob Dylan as he transitioned from acoustic to electric guitar. For what is both an intimate portrayal of genius and a harsh critique of character, both Timothée Chalamet and James Mangold hit the nail on the…

  • 5 tips for sustainable student living

    Featured illustration: Ruby Sharp 1. Mindful clothes shopping The fashion industry significantly contributes to overconsumption, with 92 million tonnes of clothing ending up in landfill each year. To be more sustainable, clothes consider buying and selling clothes on platforms like Vinted. These apps provide a great opportunity to make extra cash while keeping your clothes…

  • Love Story Movie Marathon: Top 10 films to watch this Valentine’s Day

    Featured image: Loe Moshkovska Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to break the bank. Grab your popcorn and blankets to enjoy a laid-back movie night. Whether you’re cozying up to a loved one or having a movie night for galantines, we have you covered with the best watches for this Valentine’s Day. These romantic movies are set…