LIVE REVIEW - Colour Me Wednesday / Perkie / James Choice & The Bad Decisions / Milk Crimes / Exit Earth @ Wharf Chambers, 01/04/2016

Since the Cockpit last shut its doors in 2014, multiple venues in Leeds have popped up, rushing to fill the void and offer their own take on how to represent the local scene. With The Key Club snapping up most pop-punk acts, and Temple of Boom grabbing most touring hardcore bands, it’s up to Wharf Chambers to be the heart of the DIY-punk scene in Leeds. Tonight, as the latest in Wharf Chamber’s Scene Better Days series of gigs, two tour packages come together for a snapshot of the UK’s vibrant DIY scene. Whilst Perkie and James Choice & The Bad Decisions are two weeks into a three week tour across mainland Europe and the UK, Colour Me Wednesday and Milk Crimes are just ramping up on the second date of their tour.



Openers Exit Earth live up to their name with their spacey, fun and laidback punk sound. The energy in their music is rounded off by a reliance on flange and delay, which helps set them apart from the other bands on the bill. For a band that have only been gigging for a year, they’ve worked well in defining their own style and confidence, especially when on such a hefty lineup like this one. It helps set the vibe for the evening; still undeniably punk but less aggression and more attitude. Talking about attitude, Milk Crimes leap off in a completely different direction. Still possessing scattery pop punk riffs, they channel their performance by pure righteous energy. The band makes the most out of the power trio lineup, sounding huge, possessing a whole load of energy and have some banging tunes; “I Don’t Wanna Be Alone Again” stands out as a catchy, singalong hit of self-loathing desperation. Milk Crimes may sound familiar but have enough bite to catch you out.

But it’s the five piece anti-folkers James Choice & The Bad Decisions that end up stealing the show tonight. Although the band look like they’re jostling for space on stage, they let the energy and intensity of the songs carry them through the performance, raucous folk punk that sounds like a stadium sized bar room brawl. Everyone in the band contributes to the songs, everyone knows their craft, but not in a style where you’re constantly being beaten over the head by their technical proficiency. No one member hogs the spotlight. Although guitarist and lead vocalist Puddel and keyboardist Mickey Dey lead most of the songs vocally, the constant harmonies make you aware that this is a collaborative performance in every way. Even drummer Kathrin Kolleritsch gets her moment to sing solo. There’s no ego in this band. The songs are so well crafted and refined, there’s constant innovation in what is being played and it never ceases to excite. “You’ve Got A Fiend” and “Travelling With A Dead Man”, both cuts from their recent self-titled EP, are highlights of the set. The performance doesn’t feel out of place in comparison to the more straight-forward rock of the opening bands. It’s just a different expression of punk and it’s all the more welcome for it.






After finishing their set, the band take a quick moment to swap instruments before welcoming Perkie to the stage. Touring since she was sixteen, playing in The King Blues, Autonomads and Feralus amongst others, Perkie has been a long-standing member of the DIY punk scene. Usually performing solo, today she is backed by the Austrian band to offer different takes on a set consisting of songs from her 2014 album Time Machines, as well as some newer cuts. Playing with a full band adds a new depth to her anti-folk punk stylings. Her songs are still just as effective in tugging at your heartstrings, still beautiful in their simplicity, but here they’re all accentuated and orchestrated in a simplistically skilful manner by the members of James Choice to add an additional depth and energy to her music. With vocal harmonies abounding, Perkie’s more personal and introverted songs sound more powerful in their reveal, whereas playground singalong ‘Run’ suddenly becomes an energetic riot of a song. Closing on a duet with Mickey Dey, last song “Fool” is a tender note to finish her set on. Playing with a full band and seeing how they interpreted her music was a really interesting and exciting experience, and I hope it’s something Perkie is able to do more regularly in the future.

Stalwarts of the tight-knit DIY scene, and with a packed out venue to prove it, Colour Me Wednesday seek to close the night on a riotous, energetic note. Opening with ‘Shut’, the first track on their 2013 album I Thought It Was Morning, the girl gang take to the stage with enthusiasm, confidence and bravado. Harriet Doveton and Laura Ankle’s guitars are full of excitement, allowing Jennifer Doveton’s voice to soar and carry the audience through tales of failing your twenties, the frustration of going to barbecues as a vegan and, on closer Purge Your Inner Tory, having to outgrow those angsty middle-class right-wing leanings that England is all too happy to try and impose on you. The music and lyrics are lighthearted, funny and full of joy, providing a nice summation of the night. Tonight felt like a celebration of a scene that is pushing for more inclusivity, putting the musicians who bring everyone together to the forefront. A really human, natural event, no music industry bullshit getting in the way. Just a place for people to play and a warm audience ready to receive them. And it’s more than that as well; there was no band on stage tonight that was entirely made up of young white men. Each band had at least one woman on stage, but not in a manner that felt tokenistic or forced. It was amazing to be at a gig that aimed to give more of a platform for female musicians, and I’m longing for the day where seeing female musicians in punk is no longer the exception but the rule. Well, if Scene Better Days has its way, that won’t be far off.