Wunderhorse showcase perfectly-crafted tracks with a rockin’ old soul at Glasgow’s King Tut’s, the predominately young audience in great spirits as they witness a band on the brink of the big time.
Wunderhorse have been making waves over the last year, supporting Fontaines DC and Pixies, with both bands’ influence heard in the London-based quartet’s reflective and mesmerising brand of grunge-laced rock. The band started life as a solo project for vocalist/guitarist Jacob Slater, who previously fronted punk outfit Dead Pretties and recently played Paul Cook in FX’s Pistol. Dropping the punk paraphernalia, he appears more relaxed in a pair of excessively baggy jeans as he takes to the stage with Jamie Staples on drums and old friends Pete Woodin on bass and Harry Fowler (son of ‘80s pop icon Kim Wilde) on guitar, about to showcase perfectly-crafted tracks with an old soul from last year’s debut album Cub along with a couple of new numbers.
King Tut’s is bulging at the seams, the predominately young audience in great voice and up for a good mosh, just how it should be. Meandering and mournful, Butterflies draws them in from the outset, Slater’s vocals restrained as Woodin’s gutsy bass digs deep, invoking the sound of Radiohead slipping into that black hole long-abandoned by Soundgarden. Bluesy last single Girl Behind The Glass drives a more upbeat mood before Slater receives a rapturous response as he plunges into the chorus of Leader Of The Pack, not afraid to mix things up a bit, the number’s gutsy old soul recalling The White Stripes, its bruising riff a brazen nod to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama.
As a live proposition, Wunderhorse’s sound is more full-bodied than on record, taking on a raw and at times feral edge, with glimmers of Slater’s punk past seeping into the most mellow of numbers as surges of savage, reverb-loaded guitar slam against unhinged vocals. Take these effect-laden extras back to the record and their follow up to Cub could be even better!
It’s fair to say that some of Wunderhorse’s finest moments are also their darkest, Mantis the perfect example tonight as Slater’s fragile vocals tip-toe above eerily pensive guitar before rousing rushes of ‘ooing’ stir up the captivated crowd. New number Arizona gives us a taste of things to come, reinforcing their grungy side with echoes of Nirvana’s Dumb, and although both Woodin and Fowler provide backing vocals on this track, for most of the night Fowler’s quite a distance from his mic as he embarks on entertaining low-slung benders.
The driving beat of Purple entices a full-on singalong as the crowd take over, Slater looking momentarily surprised before a huge grin spreads across his face, the sort of moment you want to box away in your memory in case he starts to take such reactions for granted. Afterwards he tells us we’re a lot better than the Southern crowds. Yeah right, Jacob, they all say that, but unsurprisingly it’s all it takes for the audience to blast into that old favourite ‘No Scotland, No party’, Woodin right on cue with the Seven Nation Army baseline.
Changing tempo once more, we’re pulled under the woozy influence of gloom-tainted number Morphine, Slater telling us that they don’t normally include it in their set. It’s both soothing and uplifting, the vocals drowsy against the brooding guitars, the chorus a choir of swaying fans in what’s surely a classic in the making. Sublime!
The band’s first single Teal gets the biggest response of the night, the audience a frenzy of clapping and ‘here we f**king going’ before chanting every word back to the delighted band. Poppy follows, its ambient textures giving way to Staples’ crashing drums and swathes of lustrous psychedelic guitar. Ending the set with the aptly-named Epilogue, they pull back on the serenity for a raucous conclusion, Fowler, Slater and Woodin thrashing their guitars in unison, a confirmation that Wunderhorse are a solid unit rather than Slater’s project alone. The audience await an encore but that’s our lot, and a pretty darned fine lot it is too, truly cathartic without a sniff of filler or ego.
It’s great to see bands like this at the start of what could and should be a very successful career. Although you can never be certain in the fickle world of music, there’s a real feeling that they’re destined for somewhere bigger, and Wunderhorse headlining stadiums around the world is easy to picture in the not so distant future. But with that prospect comes the fear that they’ll lose their edge and topple off into that cold spot in the middle of the road. Just don’t, guys…ok? But I suppose that’s what makes intimate gigs like tonight’s all the more special.
If you’re not lucky enough to catch them on this tour, they’ll be doing the rounds at various festivals over the summer. Slater can even cut costs by allowing the whole band to camp out in those big, bad jeans.
Words: Shirley Mack @musingsbymarie
Pictures: Calum Mackintosh@ayecandyphotography