Last Tuesday evening Cafe Totem’s stage felt the embrace of three great bands and it was a night to remember for the musicians and fans alike.
Up first, The Senates set the bar high for the night ahead with their first appearance at this venue. As they graced the stage, there were cheers from the diverse crowd of friends and family which gave the venue a warm, pleasant vibe. The lads opened with a track called ‘Alright’ which included a strong, rumbling bass throughout. The tone and rhythm were very unique and paired with forceful vocals, it was a pleasure to witness and hear.
Another song in The Senates set which was very intriguing was ‘Guilty As Charged’. Each note was played with utter strength and precision, all focusing around the mighty beat of the drums and gritty guitar riffs. A very memorable and exceptional part of the set was their cover of ‘Valerie’ by The Zutons. Sometimes covers are so hard to really pay justice to the artist, but the band completely smashed it and made sure to interact with the crowd throughout and really getting them to sing along during the chorus.
©Henry Wright
Next to grace Totem’s stage for the second time was the outstanding Alpaca Factory. Their set was kicked off with a simply sublime musical intro which is yet to be named, every chord and note united in impeccable harmony.
The band played a few tracks which are yet to be released including ‘Breathalysed’ and ‘Stalker’, which both received a great reception from the crowd and are now definitely anticipated for their releases. Like The Senates, they also decided to dabble with some covers during their performance. The first was ‘Take It Or Leave It’ by The Strokes, a fabulous choice showing each band member’s strengths including their ability to support each other not just interacting with each other but also through the instruments and vocals.
However, maybe even more remarkable was Alpaca Factory’s cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘thank u, next’. It may seem out of the ordinary an indie band covering a track like this but it absolutely worked. The bands own personal twist on it really paid off and the audience loved it and lapped up every single beat.
It wasn’t just the covers which the crowd seemed to love; it was of course their original tracks which have already been released too. ‘They Say the Devil Wears Prada’ was a personal highlight of their set for me. The immense guitar riff which focuses prominently at the start just reminds me of that unique early Arctic Monkeys sound in songs like ‘Leave Before The Lights Come On’ and ‘Mardy Bum’. The lyrics in this track also show a witty, cheeky side to the band and focus on Tom’s vocals which appear to be so drastically ahead of his time, not only mature but so confident and charismatic.
Alpaca Factory finished their set on their latest release ‘The Bigger You Are’. This track is slightly different to previous releases as the tone is much more mysterious and dark but includes such a phenomenal chorus that is not only so powerful but complex and holds much potential for great things for this young band.
©Henry Wright
Finally, Animal House’s time had come to set foot on the stage which had been thoroughly warmed up for them. It’s safe to say if you’re not from Yorkshire and you grace a Yorkshire stage, you better make a bl**dy good impression and their intro to ‘Gold’ by Spandau Ballet worked a treat!
The garage rock band, including three Aussies and two Brits, kicked off their set with ‘Legs out for Summer’ – a track with a very distinctive sound running throughout from the guitars creating a 70s rock vibe which the crowd whole heartedly loved.
Track two, and my personal highlight was ‘Heavy’. The band launched into this track which transports listeners to a complete other dimension thanks to the different instrumental sections, smooth transitions in the changes of pace within the song and the fantastic gritty, unique vocals. Everyone in the room was not only swaying along but belting out every lyric too with a grin from ear to ear.
Another special moment in the night was during the song ‘I’m Okay’, where they were joined by one of their support acts Alpaca Factory. Not only were both bands enjoying themselves but so were all their friends and family chanting to get their mates on stage – this moment definitely demonstrated the chemistry and friendship of these two acts.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say all these three artists sent us flying into the month of February down at Cafe Totem and I’m sure each act has a very bright future ahead of them. Good luck!
