They’ll be back eventually, but for now, local sweethearts Otala have performed what they say could be their last gig in Nottingham for a “long while”. Jake George was there to witness the celebration...
After being a staple of the Nottingham scene for a few years, Otala have made the move down to London, but not before putting on a must-see, send-off show at a venue they are very familiar with. A gig filled with friends and family as well as fans, there was an excitable and welcoming atmosphere throughout, laden with a tinge of sadness from a few fans who knew this was the last time they’d see Otala for a while. Before that, thought, were the two wonderful support acts: Bram Bancroft and Martial Arts.
Bram Bancroft and his band introduced the crowd to melancholic, lo-fi dream rock. The room reverberated with his laid-back, sometimes eerie vocals; it was a captivating performance, with his latest single, True Leisure, being a real standout moment.
There was a bit of a switch-up with the next act, with the Manchester-based group Martial Arts performing. Broadly described as post-punk, the band truly brought some serious energy to The Bodega. The collective and collaborative feel of the group was refreshing to see, and alongside a stellar, unwavering showing from singer and guitarist Jim Marsten, it was an intense live performance to match the feel of their recordings.
To begin, Marsten ushered the crowd forward, a statement of intent, leading into their latest single Triumph: an epic feeling track laden with heavy riffs and emotive raw vocals to boot. With only a handful of singles out (please release more), the group are reminiscent of recent big acts such as Fontaines D.C. With raw vocals and a clear and energetic stage presence, this won’t be the last you hear of them.
After showing support to both prior acts, with the group being in the crowd for both performances, Otala finally hit the stage. With happy faces all around, the band played what felt like a celebration of their time in spent in Notts.
With a sound reminiscent of ‘Windmill’ bands (which Otala also played last year) such as Black Country, New Road, this gig was an enthralling post-punk showcase. Frontman Oliver Thorpe’s powerful and emotive lyrics and saxophone of Charlotte Foulkes created an atmosphere like no other on the track Patchwork which came out earlier this year. The ability to create visceral imagery with lyrics such as “Soaking frail threads of what we believe comfort to be/ the most experienced seamstress would have no hope”, while still having complex but catchy riffs throughout is what makes Otala special.
Midway through the set, they played a few fan favourites that were being sold as a 7” pressing at the merch stand, that being Commedia and Guatavita, both heavier feeling jazz-influenced tracks with lyrics reminiscent of spoken word poetry.
After a couple of new songs, which will hopefully be released sometime down the line, the set ended with Thorpe shouting out Martial Arts and Bram Bancroft, as well as all the tech staff, before going into the finale, which included one of their latest singles Everything but the Hate, juxtaposed with more unreleased material.
It was a perfect send-off for a Nottingham favourite who we can't wait to be back. They are already booked to do a string of gigs down south and appear at festivals in London and Bristol in 2025 as they flourish out of the Notts music scene. Let's wait and see what’s next for the genre-bending post-rockers on their venture to the big smoke - hopefully some new tunes!
Otala Performed at The Bodega on 14th December 2024, with support from Bram Bancroft and Martial Arts.
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?
