There’s a lot to be said for going to a local gig rather than trekking all the way to London to see a night of music. It’s not that often that I manage to even catch the beginning of the main act, let alone the first support band.

In order to see tonights opener, Cambridge’s own Mammoth Penguins, I comfortably arrived at the Portland Arms for 8pm. And thanks almost single handedly to promoters Green Mind, there are an increasing number of Cambridge nights like the following…

Mammoth Penguins

It’s true, I’m a fan. I’m not going to talk about these guys too much as I’ve already done that on this site. Mammoth Penguins were the main reason I went along to this gig and they didn’t disappoint. Check out their stand-out song Strength in My Legs.

Mental note: must play it cooler when standing next to band members at the bar.

Peace and Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali

Wow, I have found a new contender for silliest band name of the year. Punky garage glam rockers PALBMA were recent guests on Marc Riley’s BBC 6 Music show. Hailing from Manchester, this ultra cool looking four piece certainly like their vocal effects, organs and plodding rhythms. The lead singer showed contempt for a very muted reaction from the crowd. Not sure if this was the fault of the band or a typically reserved Cambridge audience.

The bassist has very cool hair. Not so great if she’s stood in front of you when you’re trying to watch Mammoth Penguins I would imagine.

PINS

I’m now convinced that PINS are a real band. At the start of the gig I was pretty sure I was watching a sketch from Smack the Pony. The Mancunian five piece bring a peroxide glitterfest to the stage which has more substance than the parody girl band I was fearing had turned up.

After four years in the business, PINS have crafted an angsty-girl pop sound which is sometimes hypnotic and interspersed with bursts of energy but often lyrically drab. This comes together in their latest offering, Wild Nights. I was left wishing they were a little more wild on this particular night.

Expectations were high for their intimate headline gig at The Portland Arms (not the black sweatbox it used to be, yet still more cosy than the main venues found in Cambridge) following a support slot with Sleater-Kinney earlier in the year. Maybe it was their laissez-faire stage personas, or a crowd who left their dancing shoes at home, but for all their hotness and glitter, they just didn’t (punky) pop. All the on-stage energy seemed to just stay there. Even when they brought on dancing fan girls for the last hurrah, a jaunty ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ cover, it just didn’t make it past the front row.

I was briefly tempted by the heart-shaped vinyl on the merch stand but I draw the line at pink cassettes.

Special thanks to Jordan at Slate the Disco and Matt Thorpe for the photos.

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