Live
< The Woodin Shades @ The Water Rats
words by J P Nicholas
Britain's grunge-rock landscape has been smouldering for a good few years now, and there are still some hot embers in the fire. Once rank outsiders, The Woodin Shades are gaining momentum on London's live circuit, offering something a bit less cliché for discerning indie kids. Fronted by sparky northerner, Dean Ramsay (looking like Boris Johnson meets Kurt Cobain), they kicked out a set of tight, riff-heavy rock songs that mix the intricacies of the Pumpkins with the sentiments of QOTSA.
Before a note is played, the crowd of fans start shouting out intriguing song titles, leaving the rest of us bemused, but interested. The show takes off with 'Winnie Cooper' (apparently named after the love interest in 1990s favourite TV show, The Wonder Years). The combination of weird dark lyrics ('kill the last bird in the aviary') with poppy riffs and killer hooks, made it sound like a subversive XFM hit waiting to happen.
Similarly, the highlight of the set, 'One More Minute', lays down more bittersweet sinister intentions – this time relying on powerful three-way screamo vocals belted out with abundant energy. The band attack their instruments with ferocity, endangering the crowd with a 360-degree guitar swing, instantly making the entrance fee worthwhile.
By the time The Woodin Shades reach the end of their final song, there is a sense that the night's music couldn't get much better, and it didn't.
Originally appeared in volume 1, issue 7 of Loud & Quiet magazine
