Takeda
This is a band that thoroughly deserves its loyal fanbase, and all of the accolades that are being thrown at them.
Formed in the Spring of 2022, allegedly when musician Josh Harrison escaped a dead-end town in rural England, Norwich folk-rock quartet Takeda (sometimes written as Ta-Ke-Da) have been steadily acquiring a loyal fanbase with gigs around the city as well as in London, Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds. Next month they will be appearing as part of this year's Wild Paths Festival, but first off they have an album to launch, which is why I was at a packed Waterfront Studio on Friday, where a palpable sense of anticipation had already infused the room by the time I arrived.
First up, though, was the Samuel Easter Band. Always good to see a fellow Lowestoftian crossing the border into Norfolk to perform, Easter plays a neat line in country blues, blended with folk and Americana influences. With a six-piece band line-up that includes both drums and congas, and Norwich's Pedro Danger playing bass, Easter's gentle growling vocals blend well, and fall gently on the ear. Opening song 'Paradise' has shades of early Pink Floyd, and their piece de resistance (or 'arc de triomphe', as Easter calls it) is arguably 'Jessica', a self-written song that may possibly have disappointed anyone expecting to hear a cover of the Greg Allman song, later to became synonymous with television's 'Top Gear' programme.
Main support was Birdwitch, another local band that I had not heard before, but who nonetheless went on to completely blow me off my perch. Describing themselves as a 'dream violence' band, their fusion of doom and shoegaze (which they call 'doomgaze') also contains elements of post-metal and prog, but is completely dominated by the incredible vocals of lead singer Raya Iglesias, who creates a cathartic cauldron of rage and pain, and a seemingly impossible level of volume from such a compact set of lungs. If you have not seen Birdwitch, they will also be appearing at Wild Paths Festival. Go listen.
Takeda's highly anticipated album, In Venus' Train was released on September 17th on Drongo Records, and has already been reviewed elsewhere on the Outline website by Pavlis. For this album launch gig at the Waterfront Studio all nine tracks are performed in chronological order, beginning with the gentle acoustic beginnings of London, moving through California to Sugar Mountain, and all the way to the crescendo finale and ominous farewell contained within Phosphenes. Every track is a revelation, from the powerful Roger Waters-like lyrics and Gilmour-like guitar of Last Man Alive to the reflective gentleness and violin accompaniment within Oh! Childish Thought. I tealise that this is not an album review, but it has to be said that In Venus' Train does not contain a duff track. Performed live, you will probably never hear an acoustic guitar played with the intensity and volume that is conjured out of Josh Harrison's instrument. Together with Charlie Wilson on drums, David Wodgett on bass, and with Ollie Welch on guitars and keys, this is a band that thoroughly deserves its loyal fanbase, and all of the accolades that are being thrown at them.
The remainder of the Takeda set finds room for another five songs, ranging from the plaintive reflection of A Ruin, passing through the ironically-entitled rock-out that is Silence, to the upbeat rock-infused pop song Bliss. They conclude with slow-building anthem Lion's Den and the climactic Pushing, which is dripping with emotion and angst, and return for a one-song encore before we all hit the merch stand to get our hands on a copy of the album. Pencil in the place, date and time for their upcoming Wild Paths' appearance (St Andrews Brewhouse, Saturday, 6.15pm).
