Switches / Thousand Natural Shocks / Veil Cassini

The first support act, Veil Cassini, are an Exeter band. There are only a few people watching them as I catch their last couple of numbers. The sound of sometimes swirling, sometimes droning guitars held together with punchy tight drums fills the auditorium and spills out into the bar.

Thousand Natural Shocks, another local band step unassumingly onto the stage in jeans and T shirts. I was immediately taken aback by their musicianship. They have a confident sound with clear vocals. There are obvious similarities for me to the sound of Bloc Party. They take the crowd through a repertoire of songs that get the feet tapping and heads nodding.


Switches have all the ingredients of a great rock and roll band, a lead singer/guitarist with a confident sometimes arrogant swagger and a growing following of fans who have returned to see them tonight having seen them support The Rakes or Graham Coxon at previous Exeter outings. They also have another ingredient that not all great rock and roll bands have, clear musical talent. Matt Bishop, afore mentioned swaggering lead man, is wearing a David Bowie T shirt and Bowie’s sound is a clear influence for the band’s music as well as Matt’s showmanship. The auditorium isn’t full; I expected to find the venue packed for this gig since the band has been tipped for great things.



Matt enters into easy banter with the audience and is totally unphased by the slightly disappointing turn out. On the eve (nearly) of the release of their debut album 'heart tuned To D.E.A.D.' Switches are fired up and put on a volume 11 show. The audience reciprocate with eager enthusiasm for the well crafted numbers that are sure to be the soundtrack of a generation of indie kids. Some have clear anthemic potential, notably 'Lovin’ It' and 'Testify' and the rate at which Switches are touring should bring a growing core of fans who know this material to see them in the future.


The other members of the band are Max on bass, Ollie guitar and backing vocals and Jimmy on drums. The momentary silence after the band leave the stage for the first time seems to be a symptom of the lack of numbers in the audience and soon the shouts and claps for an encore rise up. After their last number, as they go to leave the stage, Ollie invites the audience to the after show party, but I have to call it a night. If you’re going to see the band at any future gigs on this tour though and you want to go to the after show party, check out their website, there is an open invitation for fans to have it at their own home!

Set List:
Drama Queen
Snakes and Ladders
Testify
Coming Down
Every Second Counts
Lovin’ It
Lay Down the Law
Message from Yuz

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.