Having played eight consecutive nights in eight different towns and cities across the UK and with the release of their third Extended Play recording in between times, November has already proved to be an incredibly hectic month for Tuff Love. The prospect still awaits them of a 220-mile moonlit drive back to their Glasgow homes, but before that the duo of Julie Eisentein (guitar and vocals) and Suse Bear (bass and vocals) – ably assisted by their regular live drummer Iain Stewart (on temporary loan from The Phantom Band) – have the no little matter of the ninth and final date of their UK tour to complete. A blistering show proves that they still have plenty of petrol left in the tank for forthcoming shows in their hometown and Paris.
Coming onto the tiny Fulford Arms stage a little after 10 o’clock, Tuff Love rattle through 10 quick-fire songs as if their very lives depend upon it. Zig-zagging their way furiously across all three of their EPs – 2014’s Junk, this February’s Dross, and last week’s Dregs – they aren’t hanging around.
Tuff Love take a myriad of influences from 60s girl group like The Shirelles and 
The Shangri Las to the 80s inspired songcraft of Throwing Muses and The Lemonheads before finally relocating their sound firmly in the present day. Kicking straight into ‘Poncho’ (taken from the long since sold out 10” vinyl copy of Junk) they quickly affirm a clear ability to combine noise with melody, before translating it all into good clean honest fun.
Dregs is represented by ‘Carbon’ (complete with its glorious harmonies), ‘Duke’ (galvanised by the vigorous propulsion of Stewart’s drums) and the band’s latest single ‘Crocodile’, each of which assumes a potent, rough muscularity when taken into a live setting. Tuff Love finally sign off a little before 22:40 after a double-salvo from their debut EP. First we get the frantic post-punk thrash of ‘That’s Right’ before the valedictory and quietly euphoric ‘Slammer’. It is short, sweet and utterly lovely.
On 29th January next year, Tuff Love will release their debut album Resort through Lost Map Records. The record brings together all three of their EPs in one 15-track compilation.
Photo credit: Simon Godley
https://soundcloud.com/lostmap/tuff-love-crocodile
