Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Dominic Stephenson ultimately enjoys the fertile and novel musical ground of Young Knives despite the best efforts of a rogue individual in the audience
Image by Dominic Stephenson
The arrival of John Mouse on stage, dad dancing to his ostentatious theme tune, was met with amusement and bewilderment. The fourth most popular John Mouse according to Google and the only one from Wales, he presented a slew of bizarro tales that were pumped with 00s electronic pop and indie-disco swagger. Sung and stated in his deeply Welsh cadence, they ranged from oily beats on Le Pigeon, to dipping into jet black humour on a tune about smashing the windows of a local paedophile, to the preposterousness of dancing with his neighbour at the height of lockdown. What does it all mean? Who knows, but everyone left with piles of smiles, and if you’ve ever wondered what Sleaford Mods would look like if they recruited a third member who was also a kids’ TV presenter, look no further.
Young Knives are perhaps best known for the insatiable hooks they incessantly laid down in the mid-00s, before they returned from a lengthy hiatus with industrial experimentation on 2020’s Barbarian. They traversed more novel fertile ground on new album Landfill and the setlist on this tour was a discerning amalgam from across their catalogue, opening with the fidgety Part Timer from way back when. The shuddering title track from the comeback LP is emblematic of their brave new sound, although it made for a strange juxtaposition commingled alongside indie bangers like Terra Firma, while Henry Dartnall’s rap-like verses on Cause & Effect from the last release make for an intriguing proposition.
John Mouse then re-emerged topless and donning a rubber pig mask for some silly bollocks during Love The Knives, before the mood shifted dramatically; out of nowhere, a random punter who I hadn’t previously noticed in the venue tried to barge his way to the front, before assaulting yours truly and another amongst our group. After the initial wrangling, the atmosphere was inevitably tense with the assailant, who had continued indiscriminately swinging punches at others, eventually being booted out albeit leaving a dampener on proceedings.
Unsurprisingly, She’s Attracted To didn’t land with its usually zestful aplomb in the immediate aftermath, although the trio closed with the joyous upchuck of heavy hitters Turn Tail and Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer). A weirder gig than you’d expect and for more than one reason, Young Knives may not be as sharp as they were 20 years ago but they’re still wonderful entertainers who clearly relish every second of being on stage. It’s just a shame the actions of a lone individual and the lack of any immediate action left the night on a sour note.
