It’s no secret that support acts have a difficult job – performing to a large crowd of people all waiting excitedly and impatiently for another artist to come on. Factor in tonight’s venue on a university campus and rowdy, exclusively student crowd (all drinking heavily and somehow managing to start a mosh-pit along to the mellow warm-up music), and even the most seasoned musicians would be shaking in their boots. Enter Walking On Cars, the evening’s support, a five-piece band hailing all the way from Dingle in Ireland.
Having been slowly but surely making a name for themselves over on the Emerald Isle supporting big names such as Paramore and The Script, Walking On Cars have made their way across the channel to try to break into the British music scene. And what better, and more difficult, place to start than supporting indie pop-rocking favourites The Kooks on a thirteen-leg tour of the UK? Tonight is the first night of the tour, the possible benchmark for the next twelve gigs. No pressure then…
There are no changes in lighting or any announcements that Walking On Cars are about to play. Instead, they stroll onto the stage, picking up their instruments and diving straight in with their song ‘Tick Tock’. It’s a darker, more moody song than fans of the Kooks may be used to, and lead singer Patrick Sheehy’s voice a husky, gravelly contrast to The Kooks’ Luke Pritchard’s pop-tastic vocals.
Nevertheless, the chattering of the crowd complaining about the rudeness of the security team begins to die down fairly quickly as they settle in to listen. And despite the excitement of the students and difference in style between WOC and The Kooks, the crowd cannot help but stop talking and donate all of their attention to the band. This is probably because Walking On Cars have such a strong stage presence – especially Sheehy, who looks remarkably at home on the stage. His movement and enthusiasm must be infectious because before long everyone else in the room is catching the bug and moving in the same way.
Each instrument and member of the band has an important contribution to the performance. The bass guitar’s riffs as weighted as the clashing drums; the thrashing piano are as much of an important contribution to the sound as the two guitars and Sheehy’s vocals. Though of course the vocals are inevitably the beautiful centre of attention, the band arranged in a line means there’s a sense of everyone sharing the spotlight. They phase through a couple of songs, old and new, each one ending in a louder and more enthusiastic cheer from the audience. Most notable is their last single, ‘Hand In Hand’, a fast-paced, drum and piano-lead song enhanced by the stage dramatically filling with smoke and moody red lighting. Each drum-beat is punctuated by the flash of white lights, creating a spectacular visual and aural experience.
Sheehy announcement that the next song, ‘Catch Me If You Can’, is their last is met with moans as the crowd seem hungry for more entertainment. If they could build up such a great atmosphere in half an hour, it’s exciting to think what they could do with a full hour and a half show. There is no need to feel disappointed as their catchy songs and undeniably cool style indicate Walking On Cars will imaginably be infiltrating the UK’s radio stations and charts before long. The band are not a spectacle to be missed in person though, make sure you heed their advice and catch them live if you can.
Freya Richards
Image by Anthony Riordan
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