Big Deal - Rainbow, Birmingham, 14/6/2013
by Sarah Mwangi
published: 30 / 6 / 2013

intro
Sarah Mwangi watches Californian/London-based pop rock group Big Deal play a lethargic and uninspiring set at the Rainbow in Birmingham
Big Deal’s Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe recently added a drummer and a bassist for their newest offering,‘June Gloom’ - a spirited sophomore album that is a display of pop-hearted rock. Playing on a night that honoured their album title, the quartet started with potential. Drowning the patter of rain outside the venue, Big Deal aimed to celebrate their newfound sound, with enthusiastic guitars and crashing cymbals. They appeared relaxed and comfortable with the modest crowd, and not concerned with theatrics but just playing their well developed songs. The sweetness of ‘Golden Light’ coupled with the thunderous ‘Teradactol’, sent the pulse rates to the high hundreds early on in the set. The only problem was that it couldn’t be maintained and soon ‘relaxed’ and ‘comfortable’ turned into lethargy and jadedness by the latter half of the night; attributes that proved to be so loud that the music faded into the background. The heart of the album the band were touring to promote was missing, and in its place were faults that should have remained hidden. The ideas were there, it’s true, but they were the same ideas duplicated to distraction. Their performance lacked variation and passion which meant that the homogeneous structure of the songs became visible as they melted into each, save for the brief pauses of small talk taken from Rockers’ Banter 101. To garner any enjoyment from this meant ignoring the boredom that outlined Big Deal’s expressions, the listlessness of the vocals and to try to catch the sounds that fought their way through. Once that had been achieved, it became... nice. The familiar partnering of hushed vocals and loud guitars and drums filled the spaces between the sparse audience. Everything moved along as scripted. When the band played, the audience tapped their feet. When the band stopped, the audience clapped their hands.
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/weareabigdeal/http://bigdealjunegloom.sandbaghq.com/
https://twitter.com/wearebigdeal
Picture Gallery:-

reviews |
June Gloom (2013) |
![]() |
Fabulous second album from impressive Californian-London indie rock duo, Big Deal |
Lights Out (2011) |
most viewed articles
current edition
Spear Of Destiny - InterviewRobert Forster - Interview
Fiona Hutchings - Interview
When Rivers Meet - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Carl Ewens - David Bowie 1964 to 1982 On Track: Every Album, Every Song
Brian Wilson - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Chris Wade - Interview
Pistol Daisys - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Credits - ARC, Liverpool, 17/5.2025
Gary Numan - Berserker
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPBoomtown Rats - Ten Songs That Made Me Love....
Barrie Barlow - Interview
Manic Street Preachers - (Gig of a Lifetime) Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, December 1999
Oasis - Oasis, Earl's Court, London, 1995
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Pixies - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
David Paton - Magic: The David Paton Story
Chuck Prophet - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
most viewed reviews
current edition
Peter Doolan - I Am a Tree Rooted to the Spot and a Snake Moves Around Me,in a CircleGarbage - Let All That We Imagine Be The Light
Vinny Peculiar - Things Too Long Left Unsaid
Little Simz - Lotus
John McKay - Sixes and #Sevens
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
HAIM - I Quit
Morcheeba - Escape The Chaos
Vultures - Liz Kershaw Session 16.06.88
Billy Nomates - Metalhorse
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart