19-10-20 Sunday II - Sophie and The Giants at The Green Door Store, Tuesday 15th October

Tuesday came around, and it was time to go and see Sophie and The Giants at The Green Door Store in Brighton. I love GDS, it’s cosy, unpretentious, and a great place to see bands. I was a bit tired though, so I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the night.

First call was to get some food, so I popped into GBK to get some grub. I decided on a Major Tom burger, which comes with a hint of blue cheese. I don’t like actual blue cheese, but sauce or slaw with a hint of blue cheese can be quite nice, and it certainly was on this occasion. Then once I’d had my fill of burger and onion rings, I headed towards the venue.

It wasn’t quite time to go in, so I popped into the Prince Albert pub for a non-alcoholic hors d’oeuvre. I tried a non-alcoholic Peroni, which went down smoothly and quickly. And then it was time to hit the venue.

I like to see the support bands if I can, and on this occasion there were two: Something Leather and Rubber Jaw.

Something Leather started really loudly, and it was a bit of a shock when they started up. The venue is only small, and I don’t think quite so many decibels were required. They were quite an interesting band though, with a few tempo changes and some intense wigouts. The sound wasn’t that great, so I didn’t quite get what the songs were about, but they sounded good. They are supporting Priests on 4th November so I’ll get to see them again in a couple of weeks, which is nice.

Rubber Jaw were a more traditional “four skinny indie kids” type of band, but the lead singer was quite intense and during a couple of tracks you could see that he “meant it”. Again, they were okay, and it was good to see some new music.

Then it was it was time for Sophie and The Giants. I bought a ticket for this gig on a whim, and hadn’t heard any of their music previously. During the afternoon at work I listened to one of their tracks called “Waste My Air” which I really enjoyed. They came on and opened with that song, which was a brave move, I thought, since that seems to be a favourite. But they had a really strong set, and I don’t think that starting with that song detracted from the performance, or took away options for finishing on a high note.

The band were really good, I thought. They’ve got a clean sound, and a good stage presence. I think they’ve got the potential to crossover into the mainstream in a kind of Florence and The Machine way, with a following wind. It was definitely worth going, and I’m pleased I didn’t decide to pass up the opportunity to see them. I hope that in a few years, when they’re all over the telly and headlining Glastonbury, I can say “I saw them live in a small venue underneath Brighton Station”. Recommended, if you get the chance.

TTFN.