Red Riders

The prospect of attending an all ages show on a Sunday afternoon is not one I would normally get overly excited about because my Sundays are generally spent in a similar way to that described in The Kinks’ 'Sunny Afternoon' or The Small Faces’ 'Lazy Sunday'. And kiddies if you don’t know what I’m talking about, go searching through your parents’ record collection because I promise that you’ll find some quality music if they are fans of either band. But I digress, as the Red Riders show at The Annandale Hotel was such a pleasing spectacle to witness that I might just change my Sunday routine and tell anyone who’ll listen, the following words, “F**k this, I’m going to The Annandale.”

The first act were The Experiment, a hard rock drums and guitar combo. But don’t let that description fool you, because I can personally guarantee that any person walking past the venue during their short, punchy set would have sworn a mini earthquake was in progress and not a duo simply performing.

Essentially their sound was indicative of what The Mess Hall or the White Stripes would sound like after ingesting too many amphetamines. The smallish group of people (some who might specifically choose to label themselves as a “Punk” or an “Emo”) enjoyed tracks like 'Cause And Effect'. At the end of the set I was left wondering if I was the only one in the room who recognised Hendrix’s' Voodoo Child' riff, because I got the impression that many of the young patrons would have only known it from some funky new dance remix or ring tone.

The subsequent group were Teenagers In Tokyo, a quintet who managed to complement dirty guitar-fuelled grunt with fluttering, eclectic sound bites courtesy of the Roland keyboard. The tracks included 'My Own Backyard' and new song, 'Snowstorm'. At times the group reminded me of Killing Heidi as the lead singer bore a resemblance to Ella Hooper, as she screeched like a possessed banshee evoking Indian spirits.

The final support were The Ghosts, a four-piece who boldly made the statement, “We are war.” Rest assured, I won’t debate whether they were such a bloody, violent conflict, but what I can attest is that they provided a wall of sound via a feedback-fuelled frenzy, which nodded at Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple for good measure.

The opening instrumental track, 'Street fighter' reminded me of The Who’s 'Sparks', after an angry forty-year pub-crawl or binge. They also played the song 'Spell' and the music occasionally also referenced contemporary groups like The Arctic Monkeys and Incubus.

Finally, it was time for Red Riders to begin at the rather interesting time of 3:00pm. From an early point it was clear that this set was going to be typically fun and energetic. Kids, here’s a quick lesson for any of you budding musicians out there. You know a gig is going well when the bartender (someone who by default sees a lot of live music), is bopping along to the tunes, even ones considered by most to be ballads. And such was the case here.

The opening track 'C’Mon' with its infectious chorus had the near capacity crowd singing along immediately to the hooky “Sha-la, la la.” Instantly and instinctually one knew that this was going to be one memorable set. This proved true, as the people at the front danced to album tracks, 'Daylight' and 'What They Say About Us'. Song 'Scream', with its content being about introspective thoughts caused by looking at one’s face had the entire band mirroring the emotions of the jovial youths in the crowd.

The rocking new single, 'A.S.P.I.R.I.N' also got the crowd clapping along very quickly. But my favourite part of this song would have to be watching one guy who was so engrossed and captivated by the music as he danced at the side of the stage. He expressed his emotions by punching his fist in the air to the beat. It was truly amusing stuff, indeed.

My one complaint of the set would have to be the band’s bastardisation of 'Slide In Next To Me'. Some might have considered it an interesting take on the original with its heavy, grunting bass. But the song described by the band as their “dance track” lost a bit of the magic pixie dust of the recorded version, in this ultra-sped up version engulfed by the acoustics of the pub. That said the crowd didn’t seem overly anxious about this, as they were too busy with their phones askew to capture the mock melee onstage between two of the “Riders.” Other songs also included 'My Love Is Stronger Than Yours' and 'In My Sleep'.

In sum, from this show it was clear that the Red Riders have completed enough support slots to prove that there are proficient showmen capable of holding their own with a crowd. Well done boys and I’m sure the bartender and I accord in asking, “So when’s your next headlining show?”

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