Review by Emilia Rowley
Oh dear. I've never graced The Rigger with my presence before (I couldn't find the door!) but I was not hindered. This was a free gig, and I was dying to see The Midnight Lycan Party. Plus with support from a Nottingham band called 'Baby Godzilla' my interest was already heightened. Admittedly because I love Godzilla. I quickly gained my whereabouts by finding the bar of course, and with gin in hand proceeded to find a good viewing spot.
What can I say. Baby Godzilla are fucking awesome. I'm using swearing as an exclamatory here because my former statement is true. First impression: 'these look like nice young boys, I wonder what they'll sound like?'. Hold. The. Phone. They're straight in fast and loud making me smile and sit up to hear better. The Rigger isn't the biggest of spaces, but to these guys it's a field. They jump on/off the actual ceiling rigging, off the drum kit - later broken because they play so hard(!) - and leap about singing and screaming in your face, so even if you were in the way, they wouldn't care. Tune after tune of melodic belters, with a treat I was far from expecting: some acappella inserts! Oh me, oh my, my absolute favourite. Baby Godzilla are acappella pirates, using 'yo ho yo ho' in an original way. An excellent byline to an already impressive sound. And then the kick drum broke. It just goes to show when you play hard, there's sometimes a casualty. This however did not stop the set, a little tape-repair later and everyone's back on track and ready to welcome the headliners. If you like it hard, fast, and loud, then see Baby Godzilla. They deserve it.
The sun is setting on The Rigger, a golden light streaming through the stage-left windows. A perfect welcome for The Midnight Lycan Party. They seem to be mysterious. Dark and sexy and definately worth their weight in gold. A few tracks in and I can imagine being in a western film, but on a creeped-out ghost train; and this would be the soundtrack. All songs do not disappoint, favourites being 'Black Promise' and 'Down By The River' if I recall correctly. The lead singer has a deep, melliflous vocal drawl, and the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. He is elevated by a second vocalist/guitarist, creeping in at the exact right moments in order to make the songs even better, and with a drummer that looks like a Horror what more could you ask for at sunset. These guys are darkly intense, and we need to thank them for bringing not only Baby Godzilla to Stoke, but also for a sound that is far beyond the reaches of our little town.
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