Kate HeslopThursday night in York’s Basement bar saw an exciting new musical explosion. For fans of discovering great local music and witnessing alternative bands come out from under the radar: keep an eye out for Big Stupid Horse, a new music blog aiming to promote new music through their website and events. The new venture was created by two students: Tom James and Sam Morpeth. You can check out their latest events on their facebook page here and read their blog here.
Their aim is to promote new music, sharing their favourite artists and giving recognition to more underground or niche bands that they admire and respect.
Their first event was a gig held at The Basement at City Screen. Their impressive line-up included Mononoké, Fawn Spots, Ninetails and NGOD.
Mononoké started the night on a high, with their unique instrumentals. The band is made up of Steven Jeffels on guitar, Matt Dickels on bass and George Borgels on drums. Jeffels has nailed guitar manipulation and each member’s efforts complimented the others. Sounding everything from punk to funk, their beats, bass-lines and riffs are ambiguous and experimental. Relatively new to the York music scene from only forming in 2011, they are already able of playing a strong set and sounding ready and rehearsed for more gigs.
Fawn Spots are a firm favourite in York, with Jonathan Meager (guitar/vocals) and Lee Bowden (drums/vocals). Their performances never disappoint and this was certainly one of their best. Always playing with energy and enthusiasm, the guys gained new fans amongst the crowd. Currently under labels Bad Paintings and Tye Die Tapes, their lo-fi fuzzy punk pop has gained them a loyal following and subsequently one on a national level. The band are planning a UK tour at the beginning of June with Furrow, a chance to catch the guys wherever you are.
Ninetails is a four piece band from Liverpool, with Edward Black on vocals and guitar, Jacob King on drums, Philip Morris on bass and vocals and Jordan Balaber on guitar and vocals. Described as “Math-pop” and “post-rock”, the guys have impressed everyone from their record label Superstar Destroyer to the alternative music scene. With a new song called Blue Bottle Flu coming out on May 21st , the band eagerly played old and new material, with loyal fans in the crowd mouthing along to every word. Their EP ‘Ghost Ride The Whip’ is worth a listen for fans of Math-pop and are certainly ones to watch. Their set proved to be a hit, gaining them new followers in a new city.
NGOD were the main act of the night, a four-piece from Bradford that have attracted a large fanbase in the Yorkshire area. NGOD are Sam Augustine, Luke Fielding, Lewis Dutton-Taylor and Alex Dutton-Taylor. The band have been labelled as ‘mathed up indie’ and likened to the Foals, with their latest LP receiving critical acclaim from fans. The band played the best from their two EP’s, ‘XL’ and ‘Bait Head/Probably Not’. Playing off the crowd’s energy, the band interacted with the audience and made the show feel even more intimate in the confined space. This is a band who will one day have to move their gigs to larger settings, just to accommodate their jumps, kicks and general debauchery. Their energetic live shows are worth the trip to see and you can watch their latest music video for Better Man below.
Big Stupid Horse’s aim is to promote great music, local or national, new or established. They want to widen the band’s fanbase and get their music out to the masses, through their witty blogs or successful events such as this. And if their goal is to put on a great night, pull in an enthusiastic crowd and share some brilliant music, well they’ve already done it.
