Zutons vs Futureheads // Dome

Tonight I was a little worse for wear and it wasn’t the demon drink for a change!

However, let it be said that sickness does have some payoffs, and not seeing a gig through a haze of vodka and JD can be a good thing cos it’s all about the music…isn’t it?

So…The Zutons gig at the Dome…well the usual stuff, a wet Monday night after a hard days slog with a stinking cold.

Trotted past The Mash Tun which was packed full of Freshers swigging Sailor Gerry’s like there was no tomorrow, (So they should as well, cos it’s the best drink in the known universe AND you can’t get the stuff anywhere outside Brighton can you?!)

And so, on to the venue, which was packed full of all the familiar indie style icons. Yes, I thought I was being vaguely original wearing my two belts, low slung jeans and tight hoody but the rest of Brighton always seems to have the same idea, note to self; “Set some bloody trends girl!”

Chatted to a few of my Very, very drunken friends, (At 7pm on a Monday, how very rock and roll!?) only to then discover that The Future Heads had started…

Let me set the scene- These guys are a four piece set up with four mic’s, who’s influences are Devo, Queen, Fagazi and Kate Bush.

In my mind I was immediately transported back in time to a gig at a musically significant point in the 1970’s where I had arrived on my Vespa, taken off my parka and thrown myself about in the punk/ska/mod mosh pit. (But then I do have a vivid imagination!)

Anyway, you catch my drift…. apart from the fact that these guys are tight with a capital T.I.G.H.T and professional from start to finish, including when they blew the amps twice!

Their music is a surprising mix of abrupt, sharp, thrashy sensational mod/punk anthems and the sound really has versatility hence, the four different voices and, I REALLY flippin liked em! They also translate better live (unless of course you turn the album up to a ridiculous volume!

Anyway the interval came and went, with me spending an invisible half hour at the bar, (Why does that always happen when you’re really bloody thirsty?)

After finally quenching my thirst, I was talking some more to my now paraletic mate, who surprisingly (considering he was practically on the floor) came up with an interesting theory…

The Future heads were wicked, you know it, and I know it, so why were the crowd not really feeling it? Did you see it? Why was there no moshing at the front? Was it just a case of ‘not drunk enough yet syndrome’ or something much more sinister?

Anyway onto the Zutons… to be honest I had heard their album a couple of times and it has never really grabbed me.

I have to say though that night they seemed to have an insurmountable army of obsessed mega fans! From the start of the first track the whole place was on it’s feet, clapping, dancing, jumping and standing on chairs. For starters there was the spitting image of Bez marching on the spot with his pint of lager right next to me! As well as a strange studenty type who’s dancing was so godamn awful that I had to move away for fear of having to calling the ‘shape’ police.

Hearing them live made me kind of ‘get’ where the super fans are coming from, The Zutons are what can only be described as fun, full of energy, scouse rascals.

The music has the nutty drama of a 50’s B movie clashed with some catchy riffs and often Commitments style vocals. There is also a chick that jumps around on the stage with a sax! Catchy I have to admit. “Sorry what did you say?”……… “No, no, that definitely wasn’t me dancing at the back” I am a serious music journo…”You will you won’t, you do you don’t, you say you will but you know you won’t la…la…la…la… ;-)”

So, what WAS going on? Were me and my friends losing our music touch and more importantly taste!? Were we the only ones to think the Futureheads were kicking too?

I think the answer to the question lies with scientific fact.

It ain’t possible to drink 19 pintsat the venue before the first band comes on, thus the muted reception. And, as for being teetotal maybe it doesn’t have any payoff’s after all – just makes you think too much, when you should just enjoy!

The Dome

29 New Road
Brighton
BN1 1UG
01273 709709
Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm

Promenade: seated + standing up to 1800 (600 Standing and 1200 seated)
Lyric style (proscenium arch) up to 1550

Words: Sophia