It felt to me like ages since I had last seen Sink Ya Teeth onstage, I suspect it was at the Waterfront Studio in November last year and onstage the uttered some momentarily scary words when they mentioned that it was their last live gig for a while … but it thankfully soon became apparent that the only reason for this was that they were going into the studion to record their debut album. YES!
It sounded on that evening that although they were signed to a record label last year there was some issue with distribution so to their immense credit Sink Ya Teeth ploughed on with their album plans and self-released it, launching it at this wonderful Norwich Arts Centre gig.
I arrived too late to catch any of Aseasita’s support slot but there was a friendly and welcoming midsummer vibe at NAC with so many familiar faces, out in force to support Sink Ya Teeth who as well as receiving a healthy amount of radio play had also just this week also had a BBC6 Music Maida Vale session broadcast on the Steve Lamacq show.
Playing the album live and in its entirety it was a lively and enthusiastic crowd who lapped it all up, with some incredible stage laser lighting too, courtesy of Nick. Referencing one recent review of the album in the introduction to Glass and quoting “If Donna Summer had been from East Anglia when she recorded I Feel Love” before a well-deserved jibe at the recent shameful Q Magazine that described Norwich as “unfashionable”. Norwich doesn’t really care about that and just goes about its business of having fun and enjoying fantastic music from its own music community.
In their overall sound, as well as electro dance, I’m picking up a lot of New Order/Joy Division, 80s percussive bass-driven indie and post-punk, disco, and even a bit of Grace Jones. What a glorious cocktail this is and the audience loved every minute of it. I was watching Maria and Gemma onstage, confident, charismatic and yet warm, open and friendly, and had no doubt that – if there is any justice – I would soon be seeing them on something like Later With Jools Holland. They are certainly fine ambassadors for Norwich as they tour the country and it was joy to be here for this launch in a lovely atmosphere.
I came away from the gig the proud owner of the album on vinyl.
At the gig’s end I headed to The Last Man Standing for my first Sacred Sounds gig in this former King’s pub. I only caught the last two or three songs but it was The Mahatmas playing! Always trippily awesome, and with great visual projections from Richard Rix too.
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