Live Review: The Tunics

Nov 13 2008 12:00 pm, Pic: Michy Brooks

3.5

The Tunics

The Metro, London

13/11/08

 

The Tunics are a fiery young (and very polite) band from Croydon. Still young and fresh-faced, onstage at The Metro they look almost impossibly confident given their age and how new they are to all of this. Their songs are inspired by the troubles and struggles of being young and growing up in London – especially in relation to the knife crime pandemic that has, over the last couple of years, swept the capital – and there’s a frantic and raw urgency about them live.

Singer Joe Costello’s voice sounds, a little strangely, slightly Northern – but we can blame the Arctic Monkeys for that. The band are catchier than those chilly primates though, with, to these ears at least, more of a grounded and clearly expressed vision of reality. They whip and strum through songs such as ‘ Paris, France’, ‘The Cost Of Living’ and the jingly, catchy ‘A Winter’s Tale’ without pause for thought. As result, they’re a little sloppy in places, but that’s part of their charm – they’re not polished or perfect performers, but three young guys actually living through what they’re singing about (or vice versa) – like life, it’s not all plain sailing.

 

Given more time, The Tunics will surely conquer that ‘problem’, but even now, they display the focus and talent of a band who have what it takes to make it. On a personal note, if Costello’s vocals were two octaves lower, it’d probably fit their dramatic and moody tunes even better – but to expect an 18 year old to sound like Nick Cave is pushing it. Definitely Ones To Watch™ in the coming months and years.

 

Mischa Pearlman

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