Page 53 - Black Velvet Issue 93

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MARIANAS TRENCH / CLUB DRIVE – BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE 2, 02.05.17
Until very recently (October 2016 to be exact), the UK and Europe their craft. Vocalist Aaron has a fine voice and it’s no wonder they’ve had
have been seriously deprived when it comes to all things Marianas Trench. music played on Radio 1. With a tinge of funk, songs such as ‘Dangerous’
The band have focused mostly on their own home country of Canada be- and ‘Overthrown’ are smooth and dancey, although there is a small sprout
fore then venturing to the USA. But finally, Marianas Trench fans in Europe of rock trying to peak out too.
are being rewarded for their patience. The band headed over in October Marianas Trench know how to put on an excellent show – and even
only for Josh to contract laryngitis. Although the UK shows had been per- though they’re used to arenas in Canada, they can do it just as well in
formed, the European segment had to be pulled. But this meant good small clubs. They open with the opening title track of their current album,
news for the UK, as when the band rescheduled the shows, the UK got ‘Astoria’, a close to 7-minute epic, which makes a grandiose introduction.
another round too. Vocalist Josh Ramsay is half-hiding under a hooded jacket. It’s the only
Opening this run in May are a band called Club Drive. Although a little time you’ll find him hiding though, as the flamboyant frontman soon sheds
too poppy for us, the quartet do have solid songs and are well honed at the jacket and reveals himself like a caterpillar morphing into a peacock

butterfly. Colourful and outrageous, he is one third
rock God, one third Iggy Pop, and the final third a
camp princess – he even puts on a tiara later in the
show and announces, “Is it just me or do I look fuck-
ing good right now!?”
Their set, which features both old and new
songs, pop-punk mixed with glam pop, is fun as well
as impressive. ‘Burning Up’ is bright and vibrant,
while ‘All To Myself’ is bouncy and infectious, even
Josh and bassist Mike Ayley jump up and down in
the song. The four-piece are a talented bunch with
every member singing harmonies in places. We get
‘Here’s To The Zeros’, a song Josh laughs they
haven’t played for years. “Let’s see if I fuck up the
words… Let’s see WHEN I fuck up the words.” He
actually doesn’t fuck up the words but tells us that
he did twice in soundcheck. Josh sings ‘Lover Dear-
est’ on his own before ‘Haven’t Had Enough’ and fi-
nally, ‘Astoria’ closer, ‘End Of An Era’. This closing
number is a story in itself and an epic, climatic ender
that wraps up a great show. We only hope that the
band will return again soon. Now they’ve ventured
here, we want them to keep coming back again and
again.
YYYYY
SBV

Josh Ramsay (Marianas Trench) Photo By Shari Black Velvet

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