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We have a confession to make. Normally, we’re very professional, and before seeing a band will stock up on previous albums, brush up on new ones, scour forums for amusing titbits of gossip and generally keep abreast of the band’s movements for the past year or so. However, in this instance, Gigwise managed to purloin itself backstage passes to 02 Festival, and research on Chichester’s finest, Hope of The States took a rather distant backseat to leering over ‘that new one off Popworld.’
However, the portents were good – HOTS’ debut album, 2002’s ‘The Lost Riots’ was a critically lauded chest thumper, bristling with big choruses and angry post 9/11 lyrics, and their new ‘Blood Meridian’ EP signalled a return to the sing-a-long-a Bush baiting we’ve come to expect. Despite mixed reviews of their somophore effort, ‘Left,’ we were looking forward to a night shot through anthemic, politicised post-rock, and hoped the new stuff would stand up to their impressive debut. And for once, we were spot on.
Taking to the stage after a seemingly interminable set up time, HOTS (I’m sure they had that acronym in mind when choosing a name) crack straight into first ever single, ‘The Red, White, the Blue, the Black,’ backed by quite frankly terrifying video montages of the band taken from small cameras on their mic stands, which gives baby faced singer Sam Herlihy the appearance of that lank haired girl out of ‘The Ring.’ And while it takes the soundman a couple of tracks to work out just what the hell’s going on, it can’t disguise the fact that Sam’s voice really is one of the most acquired tastes in rock – impassioned, strained but more than a little nasal. But, once you’ve overcome that hurdle it’s plain sailing – new songs sit snugly amongst the oldies, and HOTS’ gentle lyrical polemics are backed up with ear-shredding tunes.
At their best moments, watching HOTS is like being caught in the path of a hurricane, the wall of crashing sound from their four (yes, four) guitars pins the ears of the audience back, and doesn’t let up for a second. New single ‘Sing It Out’ is a well worked foot stomper, ‘Blood Meridian’ a shouty corker, hopefully single-to-be ‘Bonfires’ threatens to blow the already overloaded speakers and ‘George Washington’ – an older album track has evolved quietly over time to become a bit of a pop masterpiece. Coupled with oldies ‘Neremiah’ and ‘Black Dollar Bills,’ which still have the uncanny ability to raise every hair on the back of the neck, HOTS storm the regal KOKO.
And the feeling apparently is mutual. Sam is perhaps too effusive with his thank yous, his preamble to slowburning set-closer ‘Church Choir’ runs like a Gwyneth Paltrow Oscar acceptance speech, but the band genuinely seem delighted to be back doing what they love, and it shows during a glorious ‘Enemies/ Friends’ from ‘The Lost Riots,’ (“Come on people, keep your friends close/ Your enemies won’t matter in the end,”) is eternally soppy but still thrilling. While HOTS are probably preaching to the converted tonight (we’d like to see how the new stuff comes across mid afternoon at Reading, for example) they’ve certainly ridden the difficult second album syndrome and come out fighting, and for that, we must give them eternal credit.
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