South Coast Entertainment The Joy Formidable Review

On a day when the rain had again reared its ugly head on the south coast, 3 bands were ready and waiting to entertain a crowd desperate for relief from it all. The headliners at the Joiners this evening were the Joy Formidable, having moved up the road from last year's performance in sister venue Unit. Having played the Reading and Leeds Festival to massive acclaim in the summer and enjoying what feels like a never ending tour, the band no doubt felt better and stronger than ever. The two bands on the undercard, Airship and Baddies, were to prove fantastic support.

Hailing from Manchester, Airship were first to take centre stage, The Joiners classic, intimate venue already having amassed a good gaggle of interested music fans. Citing influences including The Cure and Animal Collective, the varying sounds are there for everyone to hear. From edgy, rocky sounds through to the more ethereal vibes, the band show good promise. At times they fluctuate between the sounds of bands like The Postal Service into more forceful, energetic compositions, a strategy that works well and keeps the audience interested. Airship manage to create a fascinating wall of sound and given stage time will begin to turn heads and entice listeners.

Baddies then come forward to warm up the crowd further. The intense dominant beats consume the crowd and produce a genuine amount of new fans. The music brings to mind current bands like Futureheads and The Rakes with a punchy rawness that still manages to feel fantastically fresh. The showmanship shown by the band, in particular the Webster brothers, is unseen by most UK bands and was like a breath of fresh air. Such was the venom in his glare, it was difficult to work out if drummer Jim Webster was enjoying himself or didn't like the look of the audience in the Joiners! Brother Michael produced much the same from the front, twisting, turning and glaring whilst delivering a top notch musical performance. To be honest, this was one of the best performances from a band seen in recent times. Songs including Battleships and At The Party were mesmerising in their endeavour and raw grittiness, something that will hopefully go on to be heard by many people across the country.

And then it was onto the main band of the evening. Having mentioned before, only a year ago The Joy Formidable were playing the smaller venue Unit on a Saturday night before an indie rock night. The upgrade to the Joiners was inevitable considering their ever increasing fan base during the last 12 months. The production of music videos and mentions on the radio will have no doubt assisted this, but overall the staggering epic live shows will have had everyone talking. Songs including Austere and The Last Drop would sit comfortably within an evening slot on a festival main stage, something people are now beginning to realise.

Initially during the set, Rhydian hits unfortunate troubles when he manages to snap a string, having to use the battered second bass for the next few songs while members of Airship work quickly at repairing his first choice. Ritzy is her usual energetic self and talks with more confidence than ever with the crowd, a sight not seen as much in previous performances. The constant touring has made the band look grander and the songs have more power than in the past. While the soaring choruses and backdrops have always sounded fantastic and produced enormous interest, the songs now feel louder and increasingly intricate.

A year ago drummer Matt was still quite new to the band set up. Now though the confidence to entwine varying drum beats to the songs is apparent and works well.

New songs including PopinJay were aired and received a fantastic response. The hypnotic sounds still very apparent. The enjoyment by the band, not just the crowd made this a very memorable night in the sold out Joiners and sent the audience home with a smile that will have lasted a good few days.