Red Rum Club have had a mighty 2024 – Western Approaches was the first of the sextet’s albums to peak inside the top 10 in the UK album charts, and they’ve had bumper tours of the UK and US, a multitude of festival appearances, and most recently, supported Blossoms on their UK Gary tour.
Their show tonight is in Newcastle’s 1200 capacity Digital, the perfect host for this party, which is a celebration of Red Rum Club’s year and all they have achieved. Invitees included support two exciting local indie bands, Bear Park and Camel Island.
First on the bill are Camel Island, who impress with their bright alt-rock sound, reminding a little of Kings of Leon. She’s the One is a great track, with rolling drums and funked up bass in the bridge providing an excellently detailed sound for just a trio.
Bear Park are an equally impressive trio, with a great roster of tracks and a strong stage presence. Looking and sounding the part, with a clear on-stage chemistry, their set features talented instrumentalism, vocals and harmonies – an excellent, energetic support to set the mood.
Red Rum Club announce their arrival through the Western Approaches morse code intro, and launch straight into Godless and Black Cat, as per the album, solidifying that this is very much a celebration of a mighty year for the group, and they are here to enjoy it.
All three of Red Rum Club’s previous albums appear in quick succession over the next three tracks – How to Steal the World is first up, with the high-spirited Nightcalling, very quickly followed by Ballerino from The Hollow of Humdrum, and Honey from Matador. Frontman Fran is on top form, and his vocals meet the unwavering demands of his five bandmates.
The set is stacked with the infectious hooks, riffs, and melodies the group have crafted over the past five years, and the crowd very much enjoy the exploration of all corners of their discography. The newer Western Approaches tracks don’t feel out of place at all; Hole in My Home, possibly one of the most popular songs from the new album, is very well received by the Newcastle crowd, and it’s moments like this when you truly appreciate that this music is made for a live crowd.
One of the reasons Red Rum Club are so fun to listen to and watch is, undoubtedly, their unique addition of a trumpet. Joe ‘the Blow’ Corby is, at this point, a cultural hero to the band’s fans – inflatable trumpets can be seen in the crowd, who sing along to his every note. Aside from his catchy lines which define the band’s music, Joe has got some serious chops. He makes a Red Rum Club set the party it is, and it’s no surprise he has his own chant, and dedicated section at the merchandise table.
An encore of Angeline, Vanilla, and Would You Rather Be Lonely? round off a bouncing evening of tunes – the final of these three being a staple set finisher. It’s not often a crowd starts singing along to the encore before the band have even made it back on stage, and continue after they’ve left again.
Waxing Lyrical 