Turning up at a venue to see that the gig has been downgraded is always a huge disappointment, but for a band like Turbowolf it's bordering on being a disgrace. Granted there isn't that much difference in size between the Academy 2 and the Academy 3 in Birmingham, but that is far from the point. The point is, Turbowolf deserve so much better.

 

After rocking up, getting over the shock of the downgrade and entering the venue I could hear the faint echoes of polite applause signalling that Loom had just left the stage. Up next was London based three piece Beasts. They weren't a band I had heard of before and that seemed to be the case for the majority of the crowd. Their sound was somewhere between Nirvana and Placebo and was certainly enough to keep the crowd interested, but it did feel lacking somewhat. The problem with two guitarists and one of them also being the vocalist is that there isn't a fat lot going on on stage and that is something that Beasts suffer with. The music is fine if not a bit restricted, but the show as a whole leaves a lot to be decided. They're only just getting started though, so there's plenty of time for this to develop.

 

The main event this evening are Turbowolf and they come on to stage shortly after having done their own set up. Their recent album, Two Hands, seems to have pushed these guys on to another level in terms of their recorded material and having seen them at Download before the release of the album I was excited to see how their live show had developed. Bursting out of the blocks with Ancient Snake saw the crowd off their feet for the first time and the room was almost bouncing as one. Frontman Chris Georgiadis is as charismatic as they come, resembling a cocaine fuelled hybrid of Justin Hawkins and Noel Fielding. His energetic performance brings to life tracks like Seven Severed Hands and Good Hand, but really it's Nine Lives that is the pinnacle of his and the bands evening. The track, coming around the middle of the set, sees everyone from front to back bouncing along with Chris and co.

 

The atmosphere from here on out was electric and the crowd interaction between tracks enhanced this further. After Nine Lives Chris quipped "now remember, there's safety in numbers but also danger in numbers, so be careful", before satirically introducing Read + Write as an "average song". It's this ease on stage that makes Turbowolf so easy for fans to love, though from a neutral point of view I could see them being difficult for someone having not listened to them to 'get' if hearing them for the first time live. Their sound is confusing and the tracks are usually bumped up a notch in terms of tempo when played live. For me this is perfect, it gives them a new lease of life and also means they fit more tracks into their set.

 

Tracks from the new album come thick and fast, feeling more rounded than the songs from their debut album without losing the edgy rawness that make Turbowolf unique in the modern market. Solid Gold provides the other big highlight of the night with its recorded vocals accompanying the riffs nicely and the crowd going absolutely mental. Turbowolf are certainly one of the best British bands out there at the moment, providing a fresh take on electro-rock. Now, Birmingham, don't let yourselves down next time Turbowolf come to town!