Nottingham's Otala and Glasgow's Gallus perform a co-headline show at The Bodega...
Anybody that knows Nottingham’s music scene knows a Friday-night gig at the Bodega is bound to be a night to remember. Otala and Gallus’ recent stint underneath the lights of the venue's top room didn’t disappoint. The night promised a collection of punk and alt music tunes that plenty of people were excited for. The crowd poured in early, and a palpably energetic vibe was soon felt throughout the room.
Kicking off in style with some impressive, layered instrumentals, Dura Mater were first to head onto the stage. It’s not often we see a saxophone take the stage at a punk gig, and we weren’t the only ones that were loving the unique vibe this brought. It’s safe to say that all of us will be looking out for the new tunes coming out of the Dura Mater recording studio in the near future.
Next up, Man/Woman/Chainsaw helped get the almost full to capacity crowd moving. Choosing to focus their tunes around a quickening drum beat, it was hard not to have a foot tapping long after this five-piece finished up their set. Showcasing a new song that is set to come out next week, titled Back/Burden, Man/Woman/Chainsaw offered a masterclass in grunge-style vocals and gritty guitar playing throughout their every one of their songs.
Seemingly all too quickly, it was time for this group to finish up their portion of the evening. Luckily, the first of the dual headliners on the bill didn’t leave the crowd waiting long before their arrival. Gallus were quick-paced, loud, and eager to party. Perfect then that the crowd were looking to do just that. Throughout their nine-song set, Gallus’ fascinating instrumentals and fever-pitched vocals made the perfect recipe for the night’s first pit.
And this group finished how they started. Well, most of them did; their lead vocalist fully immersed himself in the occasion as he climbed into the pit himself for the final song of their set. If you are looking for an expert expression of quick-tempo tunes, diversified by the melodic backing tunes of the evening’s second Saxophone showing, look no further than this group.
To top it all off, the night’s final band took the stage: Otala made their entrance in front of an audience that was eager to keep the party going. A group made up of relatively new faces, Otala come on ready to offer up something a little unique. With some songs so new that some hadn’t even seen their final name, this collection reveled in offering instrumentals of differing tempo layered underneath melancholic vocals.
That being said, some named tunes such as the beautiful Rory Tune and the unique Tell The Bees did make appearances, to the adoration of the evening’s crowd. Lead vocalist Ollie has spearheaded this band’s inclusion in the Nottingham alt music scene. No surprise then that he seems so comfortable up on the stage.
As the evening came to a close, and the crowds of fans made their way to the centre of the room for their final pit, it was pretty hard not to feel truly excited about the future of all of the young local acts who took to the stage throughout the night.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
