Oporto is yet another
small Leeds venue with ideas above its station yet still manages to
pull it off, playing host to a number of stellar gigs, featuring
mainly acts on an upward curve. Tonight it’s the turn of surf dudes
Sunset Sons, a trio of Brits and an Australian whose paths first
crossed at a bar in Hossegor down in the south-west of France. Since
that fateful meeting, they’ve traded-in a little wave time for the
rock and roll lifestyle, a self-promoted debut ‘Le Surfing’ EP
making the Top Ten on the iTunes rock chart earlier in the
year.
Their cult following amongst the surfing brotherhood has
resulted in a recent deal with Polydor records and that, combined
with the appearance of new track ‘She Wants’ on the Radio 1
playlist has propelled their latest release ‘No Bad Days’ EP into
the top three on the aforementioned hit-parade. Tonight they’ve
parked their familiar red Transit in Leeds for yet another sold-out
show, one of a dozen British dates on this brief tour concluding in
Perranporth….no surprises there.
Opener ‘Know My Name’
borrows a bit too much from ‘Kings of Leon’ for my liking but
don’t let that put you off. New EP track ‘Come Easy’ expertly
combines sleazy riff with taut beat, producing an infectious groove
taking the eager crowd right along with them. ‘She Wants’ is
similarly funky and catchy in equal measure, everyone singing along
to the chorus, clearly more familiar with the material than yours
truly and you have to say the atmosphere at this cracking little
venue is once again electric, the quartet sounding really crisp and
tight knit with vocalist/keyboard player Rory holding sway, ably
backed up by guitarist Rob, Pete on bass and Jed on drums.
‘I Can’t Wait’ is
next, a ballad that goes all country half way through and then we get
new song ‘Somewhere’ followed by ‘Medicine’, ‘No Way Home’
‘Blondie’ and another crowd favourite ‘Remember’ who sing
back to the band as the technician on the sound desk frantically
tries to sort out an issue with the band’s back stage projector
screen. Technical glitches out of the way, the main set closes with
the splendid denouement from their new EP ‘Watch Your Back’.
The encore consists of
the laid-back acoustic number ‘Loa’ complete with more audience
participation and ‘On the Road’ proves a fitting finale to a band
unlikely to be seen at a venue this size for some considerable time,
unless you manage to catch them amongst friends playing some surfer
bar. Watch this space.
Words - Mike Price
Buy 'No Bad Days' Here