The Ukrainians @ NAC
It has to be said that there are similarities to Gogol Bordello
It’s a freezing night in Norwich and I’m hoping for something special at the Arts Centre to warm me up.
Joseph Quinn and The Amazing World of Living Things almost deliver that. On first impressions, the seven-piece tread a similar path to Wooden Arms or Milk & Biscuits with somnambulant, bucolic, folky chamber-pop. There's more to them than that, though, with a woozy 60s pop feel, a dash of Francoise Hardy-style Francophone girlpop and, when the pace picks up, a hint of a shambolic Mercury Rev. Tonight, they are just that bit too sloppy, perhaps a bit under-rehearsed and maybe a touch overambitious to be truly good. That said, the songs are very likeable and one or two have a hint of greatness so I definitely want to see them again.
The Ukrainians effectively began life as a spin off from indie favourites The Wedding Present but that was over twenty five years ago. Since then, the six-piece have been playing a style that mixes of (predominantly Ukrainian) Eastern European folk with a distinct punk and post-punk undercurrent.
It has to be said that there are similarities to Gogol Bordello. If anything, The Ukrainians keep things more traditional and there is more variety to their set than the full-on assault employed by Eugene Hütz and company so it is a bit confusing that the former play to a half-full NAC whilst the latter sell out the UEA. Maybe the singing in Ukrainian puts punters off… They shouldn’t be. Tonight’s audience may be small but it enthusiastically receives an 80 minute set that is delivered with vigour and good humour.
Highlights include what I think is the traditional Russian song How Deep The Snow (How Wide The Field), a storming Smells Like Teen Spirit and a simply amazing California Dreaming. It may have been ten years since The Ukrainians last played Norwich. With a set as good as this, let’s hope it's not another decade before they come back. If it is, at least I have my copy of 2015’s A History of Rock Music In Ukrainian to keep me going.
