Tunes to match their look and style.
As looks go, rockabilly is one that manages to split opinion but it appears to be one of the in-things at the moment and one reason for this may be the emergence of The Brute Chorus. There is always a buzz about the next big thing but the groundswell of noise behind The Brute Chorus seems well placed. Front man James Steel is the focus of much of the attention with lurching movements and has a definite star quality but it’s a strong overall performance from the group.
As a visual spectacle, the band have a strong image and their movements indicates the stage presence built up over a number of years but it’s the songs that really make The Brute Chorus with checking out. The howling vocals weave tremendously over the jittery stop-start guitar and pulsating drumming. ‘She Was Always Cool’ was an obvious stand-out, the previous single having a clap-along section that had the audience participating but the set was strong and confidently delivered.
The Jack Daniels sponsored night fitted perfectly with the rock ethos of the band but the music touched a few bases. At times swampy blues rock, at others tight garage pop there is little doubt that The Brute Chorus were a better band than many would expect for a support slot on such an occasion and they will be playing bigger venues than the ABC2 when they return to Glasgow. Whether the band is a bit too varied to draw a huge fanbase is one issue that may stifle their ambition but for a rock n roll charged night, The Brute Chorus deliver with style.