
Live Review TRAAMS, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham 17th March 2016
Straight-up angst has never sounded so sweet.
With DIIV headlining on the opposite side of town, TRAAMS faced some strong competition. The crowd gathered on the second floor of the Hare & Hounds may be intimate, but the dynamic performances on stage have no trouble flooding the room with an energy that rings out long into the night.
Birmingham’s own Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam set the pace for the evening, scorching refrains switching between a punkish vitality and anthemic choruses with an all-natural ease. Pulling more wicked guitar faces and bass shapes than would seem humanly possible, Seize The Chair inject the night with unrivalled enthusiasm. Mixing post-punk refrains with swirling psychedelia, the band’s electric energy catches ablaze under the stage lights, effortlessly matching the standards of the main act. With an EP soon to see release, there seems no doubt that the Sheffield quartet are on the rise.
TRAAMS’ unique breakneck-paced brand of punk is entirely ferocious in nature, and if anything proves even more formidable live. Dark, brooding, and wildly delicious, the three-piece make the stage their own, prowling in front of an audience that cling on to every racing riff and echoing cry. Building their set around last year’s ‘Modern Dancing’ album release, the trio’s performance is seamless. From ‘AnB’ to ‘Succulent Thunder Anthem’ songs echo into one another at ceaseless pace, drawing the crowd ever deeper into the tumultuous world their music creates. Straight-up angst has never sounded so sweet, as TRAAMS prove themselves masters among mayhem, bringing fury into a frolicking new lease of life.
Photos: Sam Wood
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