Review: Coves – The Bodega – 10 March 2015

2014 was the ideal time for Coves to release their debut album. Musical duos were in with bands like Royal Blood and Slow Club to the fore. Meanwhile Temples were popularising that psychedelic sound.

John Ridgard and Rebekah Wood were a lot darker on Soft Friday though. It recalled bands such as The Velvet Underground and The Jesus & Mary Chain as well as more contemporary groups such as Veronica Falls and The Dum Dum Girls.

Now, they bring their live show to The Bodega but before we find out how they can replicate their sound on stage, there are two support acts. It turns out that ONEGIRLONEBOY isn’t just a clever name. The opening act bring their expansive pop style and sound a little like Florence + The Machine although, not quite as catchy yet.

Second band LUSTS are another two-piece, meaning that this gig could signal the end of the Transit van industry in this country. They sound how I imagine that The White Stripes would sound if Jack and Meg had grown up in Manchester in the 1990s rather than Detroit. They have some pretty good tunes too; Mouthwash and Temptation showing that this is a band that could be about to go places.

COVES instantly allay any fears about not being able to reproduce their sound on stage by appearing as a four-piece. Who needs tracking when you bring along a drummer and a bassist? It certainly gives them a depth of sound that is missing from the other acts on the bill.

It’s a rich, expressive noise that they make. Opener Last Desire soars , followed by Fall Out Of Love, it’s an amazing 1-2 to start the set. Meanwhile, Rebekah sounds incredible and she looks every inch the rock front woman in her leather jacket and laddered tights as she channels Dee Dee Penny and Madeline Follin from Cults. Although she doesn’t interact much with the crowd – the most she says all evening is when dedicating Wake Up to her parents.

There are also some new tracks sprinkled around the set-list. Any of them would have been right at home on Soft Friday but while the sound hasn’t evolved much, the quality remains just as high. New songs such as Stormy Eyes also show that the band don’t seem to be having any more luck with relationships than previously which is a relief – this style of music really doesn’t suit straightforward love songs.

My only slight complaint is at the brevity of the set – when No Ladder is announced as the last song, Coves have only been on stage for around 40 minutes. Yes, their album was also short but there were still a couple of songs from it that they didn’t play and it always feels a little strange when bands don’t play encores these days.

It’s a minor drawback after an excellent evening though. If there’s any justice in the world then the next time we see Coves pass through Nottingham, they’ll be filling one of the city’s larger venues.

Review by Gav Squires