Just Mustard / The Bodega / Nottingham
On the back of some big shows at the Motorpoint Arena and the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, tonight we headed back to Nottingham’s Bodega venue, well known in the city for some amazing up and coming bands. There was a real buzz about the place tonight for the visit of Irish band Just Mustard.
First up we were introduced to White Flowers who hail from Preston, Lancashire. A young band who have developed an enigmatic and eccentric style all of their own and visiting on the back of the release of their EP “Are You”. Have a listen, the EP is well worth it, the tracks are light and delicate, but deeper, the tracks have a darker side and a dry humour, drawing on a sense of claustrophobia, and a sense of being trapped.
The material translates to a live setting really well. With a dark stage, bathed in blue lighting from the back dreadful for the camera, but great for the crowd lol), the tracks use a lot of effects, such as digital delay and super overdrive pedals to create an other worldly sound. With the lighting and effects it creates a brilliantly dark and bleak almost effect.
Highlight of the set for me was their performance of the EP’s title track Are You. A really engaging performance !
The Bodega is a smaller venue, located upstairs, and the place is pretty full now. There’s a real sense on anticipation in the air. There has been a steady flow of amazing Irish post-punk bands recently, such as Fontaines DC and The Murder Capital, and I was really looking forward to what Just Mustard could offer up, following the release of their second album “Heart Under”.
The set list was predominantly taken from their new album, with just a couple of tracks from 2018’s “Wednesday” (Pigs and Deaf) and a couple of singles from 2019 in Seven, Frank and October.
As the set start’s we get the opening album track 23 which has a delightfully haunting vocal introduction and Mete Kalyon draws a violin bow across his guitar strings creating an otherworldly vibe. With more atmospheric lighting it creates a brood dream-like mood the evening and this continues with I Am You before exploding into 2019’s single Seven, which feels more forceful with the guitars squealing at you intensely.
More tracks from “Heart Under” in the form of beautiful melodies and chilling guitar effect tones in Mirrors and Early which demonstrate their musicianship. There is quite a difference in their new album from the earlier material, but the older tracks Frank (2019 single) and Deaf (from 2018’s Wednesday) fit in really well, the latter going down really well with the large crowd, especially the guitar work from David Noonan which simmers through the verse before building the intensity to support an incredible almost screamed vocal. Stunning stuff !
Just Mustard are not a band to throw themselves around on stage much, coming over as more mysterious, but it works incredibly well, allowing the mysterious tones and haunting melodies to do their talking for them.
A band with a real bright future, that let their music do all the talking for them. And doesn’t it just speak so well to the audience !
Set List
23
I Am You
Seven (Single 2019)
In Shade
Pigs (Wednesday 2018)
Early
Mirrors
Sore
Deaf (Wednesday 2018)
Frank (Single 2019)
Blue Chalk
Still
October (Single 2019)
Seed
