To compare local lads Hankss to fellow Brummies of yesteryear King Adora may seem unkind to some, but there is definitely a hint of that (maybe) unfairly maligned band in their make-up. They certainly have the songs to engage their sizeable entourage and make a few new friends tonight before Oklahoma’s Broncho take to the stage.
Broncho gently warm up the audience with a couple of minutes of feedback, before easing into ‘Fantasy Boys’, one of the best tracks from their new album Double Vanity, which arrived back in June. Early on in their set, they place an emphasis on the more laid back songs from that record, which has the feel of early Dandy Warhols or even The Jesus & Mary Chain in its construction. Frontman Ryan Lindsey has a restless style; he doesn’t even keep still between songs, but he manages to connect massively with the audience despite not saying a single word all night.
The band power from one song to the next with no discernible gaps – more feedback fills the spaces as they load the new songs up near the start; ‘Jenny Loves Jenae’, another Double Vanity highlight, is thrown in early as is the funky chug of ‘Senora Borealis’. Broncho are merely warming up though. The single ‘It’s On’ arrives and is heralded by an ecstatic reaction from the audience, which is extremely diverse in terms of age – three generations of fans happily throw themselves around the dance floor as the volume and tempo is cranked up as the show continues.
Far from being compared to shoe-gazing types, if anything the band seem to be on the same wavelength as The Cramps as the band perform a number of faster songs from previous album Just Hip Enough To Be A Woman, the aural onslaught is relentless and Ben King (guitar), Penny Pitchlynn (bass) and Nathan Price (drums) are a formidable unit – perfect foils to Lindsey’s impassioned vocals.
‘Class Historian’, the band’s poppiest moment is saved until last and is received with glee by the crowd as it is performed fast and loud. Broncho tonight are on spectacular form and send an extremely enthusiastic audience home happy, already eager for their return.
Photo courtesy of the Broncho Facebook page
