Surf City Bring The Summer Vibe To Leeds
Published
New Zealand’s four-piece Surf City played Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club on 10th June, following the release of their third record, 'Jekyll Island' earlier this year.
The album sees the psych-gazers return with their hazy sun soaked sound. A vibe that is not lost, but welcomed in grey drizzly Leeds. For the duration of their set, Surf City transform Brudenell’s main room into an ambient place far away – it’s a real shame that more people don’t take advantage of their enchanting and entertaining presence.
The band open with "Beat the Summer Heat", which is a highly infectious track. It introduces Surf City’s style well. Heavy on re-verb, with chilled out lyrics on loop. For a few minutes after, the band play about with the sound of their instruments and swig beers, before easing into "Leave Your Worries", a short and sweet track. Surf City have a hypnotic charm that brings the audience closer to the stage.
There is a noticeable change in lighting as the band play "Dickshakers Union". From a red hue to a greeny blue as Surf City descend into a heavier sound. Performed live, the song is more energetic and drenched in re-verb in relation to the band’s 2007 record, Surf City.
What Gets Me By" departs from here for a more broken up, fuzzy feel. Though the live vocals achieve the echoey effect of the recorded track with technical aid, the band adds to this manually, giving it an added quality. The distorted vocals are mimicked by backing vocals, which really makes the band’s performance come to life. The instrumental towards the end of the track adds to the ambiance.
The lighting changes once more to a brighter green as the pace picks up a little with the lighthearted "See How the Sun". The band announce that they are going to slow things down playing "What They Need", which has a Velvet Underground feel to it. The bass in "Teacher" is particularly enjoyable and is overall a slow yet neat track (in Surf City terms).
As they play "Spec City", it is clear that Surf City enjoy playing together which is something that they do with remarkable tightness. The band make a remark after the song, pointing out how a lot of people have left the show. However, despite this, the band plays "Hollow Veins".
A highlight of 'Jekyll Island' is that it is cheerful in spite of the unfortunate lack of attendance. It’s an exciting track that gets the audience dancing. Though, as its title implies, there is an emptiness to it. Surf City, with their sweet surf sound, manage to make light out of darker themes.
They end the set with two tracks from their 2010 album 'Kudos'. "Crazy Rulers of the World" and "Kudos’" demonstrate why Surf City are a part of the recent pure talent coming out of New Zealand and why they are a band to keep an eye and ear out for. The band leaves the stage, returning to perform two more tracks as the audience chants for more.
Surf City know how to put on a show, bringing a summer vibe to Leeds. Hopefully next time they’re in the northern hemisphere, a more responsive audience will take advantage of their charm.
For more information on Surf City click here
To visit Surf City's facebook account click here
Words by Ellie Brown
