When an email with the subject line ‘Confirming Divorce’ arrived in the Picky Bastards inbox yesterday we joked among ourselves about this being bad news. This joke isn’t lost on the band whose online bio reads ‘Choose Divorce and regain control of your life and finances’. While I wasn’t expecting such a life changing experience at the gig, I definitely didn’t think the email was bad news and was excited to see and hear how the songs came to life in a live situation.
I’ll admit though that it took me a few moments to be fully convinced by the band. Was it simply a nervous start? Or was the sound in the venue a bit off? I was nervous too as they began sounding, to their credit for only half a song, like a support band faltering in the bright lights.
‘All My Freaks’ followed swiftly after and all early set jitters, from both me and them were quickly forgotten. The sound (with canny use of reverb) improved in tandem with their confidence from here on in.
Felix and Tiger are the core of this band. The vocals you hear on record are the most captivating aspect of Divorce heard in person. They’re a power vocal duo that perfectly complement each others voices. He has the tone like a silky, more honeyed Gruff Rhys. She has the clarity and the quality – a real singer star. Their unity has been honed from playing and performing together before Divorce existed as the band they are now. Imagine a Buckingham Nicks except they’re from the dullest, middlest part of England instead of sexy, sunny, shiny California. Throughout their set they allowed each other space to shine, each taking the lead in turn, but still with the harmonic and unison combination clear.
Apart they are whole different beast. Set free of her bass guitar on ‘Scratch Your Metal’ and ‘Checking Out’, Tiger showed she’s got some real performance chops and moves to rival anyone used to much larger stages and crowds.
The biggest surprise of the night was their willingness to bring a member of the crowd on stage by request to join them for ‘Eat My Words’. “He’s getting divorced tonight” Tiger took pleasure in declaring as he climbed on stage. It was a gamble but fortunately he could actually sing and knew 95% of the words. It was a spontaneous crowd pleasing moment at just the right point in the main set.
What really came to life for me that I didn’t appreciate on record were the quieter, slower, more considered songs. For all the exciting power pop choruses they have, the tender, more country sounding moments are where they shine and their lyricism comes through. ‘I was made to love you baby’ makes its simple point effectively, whereas moments like ‘There’s blood on the wall, I will help you clean it all’ albeit a grim image, show a totally different side to the expressions of love in their words.
The crowd were loyal and knew and loved the older songs from early EPs including my personal favourite ‘Scratch Your Metal’ and encore closer ‘Checking Out’.
I’ll be returning to the album with renewed energy and an ear for the more tender moments that I’d previously not connected with.
They’ve described their debut album Drive to Goldenhammer as a journey. There is a sense that they are still on their way, but on the basis of last night they are heading absolutely in the right direction. They have the potential to be doing big things carving out their own indie niche. Album two is going to be hotly anticipated.
Words by James Spearing
Picky Bastards 