Hyena - Who's Laughing Now?
A bunch of lads from Telford, Shropshire grew up on a diet of all things grunge, particularly Nirvana and latterly Queens of the Stone Age. After 3 years of local gigging, their recipe now quite ripe of age, is ready to be properly unleashed on a bigger audience. They played Download and Reading/Leeds earlier this year, and this support slot on the Dinosaur Pile Up autumnal tour is ideal, a support band matching the headliner in style and power.
The four piece arrive on stage about 5 mins later than scheduled, the promoter said he couldn’t find them, but I think they were already in the venue blending in with the crowd. Its very early, and the room is less than half full, at 7:45pm they are the first on in a 3 band bill. But - ‘Nevermind’, and in true Nirvana style they proceed to offer up track after track of wholesome grunge pop. It didn’t matter if it was 5 or 500 watching, they would still offer up their all for anyone prepared to listen.
Singer and guitarist Jacob Ball, bassist Joshua Taylor, guitarist Dom Farley and drummer Reuben Gwilliam are a tight band that clearly show off their hard work sweating in the little pubs and clubs over the last few years. It’s a shame more were not present to witness it, but those that did come to the Dome in Tufnell Park early doors loved it, nodding heads and claps and smiles all round.
Asking if anyone had heard of them before tonight’s show, one gent made a noise and they dedicated the track ‘Mental Home’ to him, not sure he was pleased about that, but it was a stormer all the same and this reviewer is still singing the refrain a week later. Latest single ‘Forget My Name’ followed, with both tracks recently produced by Tom Dalgety of Royal Blood fame, no less!.
Hyena remind me a lot of another Nirvana(ish) combo, ‘Nine Black Alps’ who had some success with their first album around 10 years ago , but sadly dwindled away shortly after (making a comeback soon though – watch out!) and I really hope this isn’t repeated with these boys.
Jacob and Reuben look the part with hair that hasn’t seen a razor for a few months, but there is something still a little too clean cut here, green embroidered holiday sweatshirts are not really rock'n'roll and wingmen either side look more Labrador than Hyena, so they could do with messing up a bit, add some grunge to the image perhaps, to match their music which has such looseness and unkempt visage.
Great work ethic though, prepared to play anywhere, meet and greet at the merch stall after the gig, all of this will stand them in good stead for the future. They are very much in the ‘Ones to Watch’ box, and I think another few months and I hope we will be hearing and seeing so much more of Hyena.
COMMENTS
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They sound really really good!
