Josaka - Berkshire live music, indie record label, gig promoter

Home

PATP's Christmas Cheer

Posted: Mon, 14 Dec 2009

New Reading venue Sub 89 hosted Pete and the Pirates’ Christmas bash on Sunday 13 December. Sub 89 is what Reading has been crying out for since The Fez closed - a good sized venue to call its own – one that’s like, you know, proper. On Sunday it hosted a wonderful evening showcasing two of the town’s success stories and perhaps some future ones too.

Although he started slowly, by his third or fourth song Paul Hodgson had Sub 89 enraptured with his tales of small town drama and confused longing. Relaxing and looking more and more comfortable as his better songs appeared, the highlight of his short set was undoubtedly his song about leaving Newcastle to come to Reading. “Where is my home?” he asked us. Right there on stage sunshine.

Matthew Greener is the front man to Reading success story Morning Runner and his haunting voice brought more than a touch of melancholy to proceedings. Heartfelt and touching, if somewhat nervous, Matthew’s performance certainly contrasted to the more triumphal atmosphere of the rest of the acts, but without bringing the party down.

Worship, consisting of ex-members of celebrated local acts Fox Cubs and Godwits, filled every little nook and cranny of the room with their massive synthy wash and bottom heavy stomp. Caught taking ‘Hail to the Thief’-era Radiohead and combining it with some Joy Division/Editors vocals, this is powerful stuff – and considering this was one of their first gigs, they sounded as well-seasoned as mulled wine.

All power to Pete and the Pirates – Reading hasn’t been this excited about a gig since, well, probably the last Pete and the Pirates show – and they didn’t disappoint. They had it all – beautiful three minute Blur-esque paeans to modern English life, sung with charisma by front man Tommy Sanders (in a rather fetching bow tie), impeccably backed up by Peter Heffernan’s delightful harmonies. The whole room (which seemed like the whole of Reading by this point) lapped it all up, hanging on every chord. At the end of their set they were goaded back on stage and gave us a crazy wobbly version of Silent Night, complete with Coxon-style solos from David Thorpe, an appropriately memorable end to a wonderful evening.

Makes you to proud to be from round these parts, and you can’t always say that too often.