Self-assured Crowd Pleasers
The Subways resemble quite an unusual trio. One bloke, his little brother and his fiancée aren't really the conventional band set up, let's face it, it's not very rock and roll. Somehow though The Subways carry it off and make it work in their favour as they appear to take everything in their stride, including the regular heckles inflicted upon bassist Charlotte Cooper and constant taunts of "your bird's fit" shouted out to lead singer Billy Lunn. Today is no exception but emitting more vivacity than the Energiser bunny, The Subways execute an almost faultless set as they become the first act of the day to take the crowd by the scruff of the neck and shake some life into their bodies.
Charlotte Cooper may be one of only a few female bass players, but this is a girl who simply lets the music ebb out of every inch of her body. Apparently lacking the ability to stand still for longer then half a second, Cooper bounces from one side of the stage to the other, her golden locks flaying out wildly as she attempts to steal David Gray's crown as the ultimate nodder - both convey the image that they are all but inches away from nodding their heads clear off their shoulders. On a chilly December day though, Cooper is like a breath of warm air. Her exuberance and energy propel The Subways' performance, forcing people to sit up and take notice. Not to be outdone, Billy Lunn unbelievably exudes even more energy and vitality. During the shows performance highlight, 'Oh Yeah', Lunn risks life and limb in the name of art as he leaps from one speaker stack to another in an attempt to get the crowd going, to incite any form of a shout back. And of course he achieves his goal but not before carrying out the same stunt on the other side of the stage. Lunn seems to pole vault across the speakers like the rest of us walk up stairs and yet still has enough spark left to deliver more energy driven numbers. This is a band that truly put their heart and soul into their performance, even risking their own necks for our enjoyment and quite frankly, the audience love them all the more for it.
Although the next single was plugged to death throughout the set (incidentally it's out on Monday 12th December if you weren't sure!), 'No Goodbyes' is played with all the right levels of tenderness and grace that it demands, proving that The Subways are not a one trick pony and can do the sentimentally fuelled numbers just as well as they can those that are charged to the brink with energy. With every other word starting with the letter 'f' and being of the variety most people would not use in a conversation with their mother, it's easy to assume that Lunn is suffering from Tourettes Syndrome. That is until however you witness the arrogance and self belief radiating from within the band. They know they are on the cusp of breaking and becoming an elusive rock band and this is where arguably the arrogance and rowdy behaviour stems from. On top of all this, they've given one of the performances of the day and having just played their biggest gig to date; they know they are destined for so much more.