I think its fair to say that after a couple of years of solid touring playing every hole, hovel and toilet in and around our fair Isle, Pulled Apart By Horses are really starting to reap the rewards for all of their hard efforts and tonight’s exuberant performance demonstrated why. After a successful year playing some of the biggest support slots going, including gigs with Biffy Clyro at the Roundhouse and with Muse, the lovingly loud Leeds Lads have really started to develop a huge following and playing the now very highly regarded New Slang night, you are able to see just how many people are going nuts for Horses right now. The venue itself resides for most of the week as one of the most tacky, chavvy clubs I’ve ever been to, sticky floors, neon lights and a metal detector (sign of a classy joint) greet you on the way in, and as discussed with the band before hand ‘lot’s of dark corners for finger fucking!’ But the promoters have built up a good reputation and the cheapness and size of the venue means it’s always packed full of kids and in fact tonight was probably the busiest I’ve ever seen it.
Anticipation was high and it took about 30 seconds into their opener Moonlit Talons for the pit to open and people in and around it to go absolutely mental. Horses ripped through their set with pure venom, lead singer Tom Hudson screaming at the top of his lungs and darting about the stage with the energy of a teen with his first overdose on pro plus, this energy on stage really rubbed off on the punters who flew out of each other with such force it was like watching a scene out of 300, minus the swords. Theirs is a sound that really can cater for big stages and audiences and they were revelling in the fact that so many people were there, as Hudson grabbed the mike and launched into the crowd all I could see was a sea of kids charging towards him, before guitarist James Brown suggested they started a circle pit to which the fans were only too happy to comply.
Their self titled début album was played pretty much in the full with unrelenting heavy, bluesy riffs, with the noise of Get off my Ghost Train sounding like a hurricane directed straight at the ears, High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive sounding more vast live, in effect, the most catchy piece of noise to come from this country in a long time and the finale Den Horn, a 7 minute onslaught of beatdowns, riffs and dirgy bass was the only proper send off for a band seemingly getting bigger and better all the time.
Words : Gordon Reid
Photos : James Perou
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