A few posts ago I reviewed a gig at the Brass Monkey which featured young bands. I was pleased then when an invite arrived from Theta to come along to an event called Incubate which is about hatching local potential. So off I trotted and was again pleasantly surprised to run into Kadootje who were also appearing, and who I had also reviewed at the Brass Monkey.
Kadootje played before Theta and again I was struck by the maturity of their performance. The members of this band are 15 years old and younger and their music bristles with post-punk attitude which belies their age. Their songs are originals and they deal with some serious issues such as ecology (Emergent Layer) and feminism and for me the stand out number was their Brexit anthem Kick Them Out. I’ve seen them three times in all now and each time I see them I am impressed with their musical ability and the intensity of their young female singer Safiya. It looks like they will be appearing on the upcoming Fat Tuesday programme so try and catch them. You can find their music at Soundcloud.com and here’s a version of their Kick Them Out track.
And so on to Theta. I just love these guys. Their energy and enthusiasm is infectious and in a three number set they had the audience engaged from the kick off and providing sound effects for them by the end of the set. Their brand of pop/rock has in roots in Busted and McFly, but as I’ve said before seems a bit edgier to me. All the showmanship is there with this band, from vocalist/bass player Harry Mitchell and Ollie Green, main vocals and guitar, bouncing up and down during numbers in a style reminiscent of The Jam to Thomas Coleman, guitar and vocals, showing us his Hendrix style approach to playing with the guitar behind his neck. All of this up-front action is happening in front of the man who keeps the timing and beat going, drummer Toby Day. This foursome are obviously enjoying their musical journey and it rubs off when you watch them. Catch them if you can, I’m sure that you will have an enjoyable evening with a band that I am sure is going to go far.
They have a new single available from an upcoming EP. The single is called Make/Break and is available, along with other tunes of theirs at Spotify and iTunes. Here’s a clip to wet your appetite.
