Stoke Sounds

Review by Sian Eardley

This was a rewarding evening on multiple levels, for what would have been a quaint and ordinarily boring Sunday. Not only did Abyss stride in to save the day from an afternoon full of a multitude of ridiculously monotonous and poor renditions of indie tribute act drivel, from pre-pubescent teenagers, but Fat Cats has risen it’s head as the best new venue in town; in terms of music quality and setting.

Upstairs, waiting for the dire sounds echoing from the basement to drown out, summer vibes of 60’s soul music flowed throughout the above bar, and it was a thrilling experience as opposed to the apparent dying-out Underground and the same-old Sugarmill. Fat Cat’s has got it going on, and with more and more gigs being put on each month, it’s sure to take the lead for hottest local music venue. The fact that they do something fresh, and have the ability and style to put on whatever they want in a grandeur fashion, instantly puts them ahead of the crowd.

£4 for an afternoon full of sounds (not all good by far – see above) got you hours worth of entertainment, and Abyss as usual were that prolific cherry on top indeed. Hand on heart, I was expecting the interesting lot of teens to perform the same set list as executed at the past few shows I’ve seen them at, I was pleasantly surprised. Again, like the venue, this passion and flair makes them stand out, all this for such a premature yet groundbreaking local band is astonishing, and I’m very sorry Hollywood Tease, but these guys, are my new favourites. It’s also great to see an expanding audience each time these guys play. The word sure is spreading.

They opened with an old corker of theirs, then whipped out a roaring version of ‘Whiskey in the Jar’, and my gosh did it make the hairs on you arms stand on end – it’s always a tune. The Hetfield inspiration is clear, as I’ve referenced before, especially in Breakout with those intrinsically experience riffs. Having recently acquired a new drummer, you can tell they’ve also worked hard to come together as an even tighter unit, and even treated us with some new material, showing bags of more promise, it’s like they’ve been upgraded perfectly. The future IS bright, and the future IS Abyss, and with even more dates coming up, including a Sugarmill slot soon, be sure to keep an eye out to witness the sheer talent that is known as Abyss.