The Holloways: repping Britain (and committing several fashion crimes) with them trousers, boys

The Holloways @ London Kentish Town Flowerpot
21st September 2009

It’s the eve of the autumnal equinox and there is something definitely magical about tonight. Outside the evening air is cool and still, the calm traffic ebbing its way steadily back and forth along Kentish Town Road. Tonight’s effortless atmosphere is a fitting symbol of the winding down of summer. Inside, a lone, old-school arcade flickering images of Street Fighter in the back of the room, the endlessly soft and homely sofas, the friendly bar staff and the warm, luminescent blue of the non-intrusive stage in one corner of the bar, give this evening’s venue an aura synonymous with that outside.

Even the crowd look cool as they arrive and then pile in towards (and almost onto) the stage as our hosts The Holloways casually amble into position, with all the evening’s atmospheric charm offered up to the band instantly gratified via a nostalgia inducing sample of the Inspector Gadget theme. And then they begin, bursting in energetically with ‘Dancefloor’. Girls in belt-strapped shirts-come-dresses, and guys in skinny jeans whirl into a frenzied blur at the front of the stage as they celebrate the return of The Holloways. The boys look glad to be back too, mirroring the crowd’s enthusiasm, pogoing back and forth as they confidently strum through crowd-pleaser ‘Re-Invent Myself’ and the manically received ‘Generator’ (grabbing the loudest cheer and sing-along of the night).

And the new single ‘Jukebox Sunshine’ sounds huge too, a testament to their increasing musical maturity. These guys know how to have fun as well, bassist Bryn urging everyone to purchase their new single with the alleged knowledge that “we know where you live…. In fact, we know your mums too!”

The Holloways – ‘Jukebox Guitar’

The band look extremely relaxed in these surroundings with the two new members, Mike (guitar) and Ed (drums) fitting in comfortably. Everybody is on point tonight. Ed’s swing feel dances through Alfie and Mike’s upbeat, staccato guitar riffs, and held together efficiently with Bryn’s playful bass melodies. The band deserves every bit of the fans’ endearing reception. The vocals are note perfect and clear; everything about their set flows seamlessly. There is nothing gimmicky here. No fancy stage adornments or flashy light show to be seen. No fiddly sound manipulation or choreographed mid-song posturings. No egos, no nonsense. Just fun rock-n-roll at its purest.

The North London lads are treating us to a lot of new material from their upcoming LP No Smoke, No Mirrors tonight, right alongside anthemic classics from their debut. Highlights include ‘AAA’, ‘Alcohol’ and ‘On the Bus’. Harmonies are pouring through these songs helping to underline their lyrical witticisms and acute observations of the city’s quotidian adventures. The band closes with the same amount of spirit as they do at the start, and their energy is contagious, leaving the audience (darting off immediately after a round of fan photos and handshakes, to play another show for the radio) resplendent with anticipation for the release of the new single and LP.

Summer may have just ended but things are definitely looking bright for The Holloways.

Jukebox Sunshine is released on 28th September and No Smoke, No Mirrors is out on 5th October, both via Madfish

by Dean Valentine Smith