Young Knives - Venue, Derby, 25/10/2011

by Denzil Watson

published: 27 / 10 / 2011

Denzil Watson enjoys eccentric former Mercury Music Prize nominees Young Knives' refreshingly unique brand of indie rock at a show at the Venue in Derby

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"Where are the spoils, where are the treats?" So goes the lyric from a fantastic rendition of Young Knives' 'Turn Tail'. One could forgive Ashby-de-la-Zouch's most famous musical sons for asking the question. Tonight's hundred-ish crowd at The Venue in Derby seems a long way away from the Mercury Music Prize awards party they attended back in September 2007 when their 'Voices of Animals and Men' album was deservedly nominated. The three-piece indie-rock band don't appear to have reaped the Mercury dividend that so many alternative bands like the Horrors, Elbow and the like have enjoyed. Ironically though, it's in small to medium size venues like the one tonight that the band are in their element. The chemistry between them is the spark that makes their live shows such a joy. Brothers Dartnall, Henry on guitar/lead vocals and Thomas "House of Lords" on bass/vocals, feed off each other for self deprecating banter throughout the set, while moustachioed drummer Oliver Askew doesn't drop a beat all night. Their quintessentially English brand of music - think Kinks-'inspired vignettes sound-tracked by angular XTC guitars - translates well in the live arena. From set opener 'Everything Falls Into Place' from their current, most accessible and best to date LP, 'Ornaments from the Silver Arcade' to the final encore track 'Terra Firma', there isn't a weak song in sight. Predictably 'Ornaments' forms the backbone of the set including current single 'Vision in Rags' and the superb 'Woman' ("This one's for all the ladies," quips the House of Lords). Not forgetting the melodic quirk of 'Human Again' and its delightful "weeds are for hoeing" line. There's no new material on show tonight but that matters not. 'She's Attracted To', reminiscent of the Fall with its propelling bass-line, heralds a man dancing in a horse mask and another member of the audience joining guitarist Henry in "Tops Off Tuesday". Former single 'The Decision', sung by the House of Lords, is another of the set's many high points. As the banter pings between the Brother's Dartnall and the crowd, there's mock(?) shock from the House of Lords as someone insinuates he bears a passing resemblance to Christopher Biggins ("Security - get him out immediately!"). Henry says they're not going to play their most famous song 'Weekends and Bleak Days' and he's not joking! Other highlights include a stirring 'Silver Tongue' that closes the set proper, having morphed perfectly into 'Storm Clouds' as seamlessly as it does on the current album. There's even time for a guitar-heavy re-working of Kraftwerk's 'The Model' for the first encore that works a treat. So while their peers, including the likes of the Kaiser Chiefs, enjoy stadium filling success, Young Knives continue to take a more off-the-beaten-track approach as this tour, taking in such musical outposts as Stockton-on-Tees, Wakefield and Wrexham, shows. They may not fill stadiums, but this fantastically eccentric trio bring a refreshing and off-kilter approach to the often tired and clichéd indie rock genre.