Freebutt, 13th November 2009
Having heard through the grapevine about four Scottish lads who, since signing to Brighton’s Fat Cat records, have been firing waves of post-punk angst across the length and breadth of Britain, it was with great expectations that I headed down to the Freebutt to witness We Were Promised Jet Packs for myself.
Watching the band sneak quietly into the venue, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were the roadies for the headline act. The first thing you notice is just how young they are. When they first formed back in 2003, they were all under eighteen years old, meaning they could only play underage gigs. The Edinburgh based four-piece look shy and unassuming but take to the stage with an air of modest confidence.
They kick off tonight’s festivities with ‘Keeping Warm’, a slow building cacophony of intertwining guitars and relentlessly pumping drums. By far the most poignant element of the bands sound is front man Adam Thompson, who sings his heart out so damn loud that he doesn’t really need a microphone. His unmistakable Scottish brogue and obviously heartfelt lyrics combined with the driving intensity of the rest of the band makes for some real goose bump-inducing moments.
There’s a naive honesty to ‘Quiet Little Voices’ (undoubtedly their best tune), which hints at the vivid intensity of childhood memories these four friends may have amassed in the majestically sweeping landscape of their native soil.
‘There’s always some random guy who comes up to us at our shows and says “Alright? I’m from Scotland!”” jokes WWPJ’s modest singer. “I’m afraid it’s me this time!” laughs a gruff voice from the sold-out crowd.
It’s this down-to-earth character that makes the band so believable. They’re admittedly not the greatest showmen, but you only have to listen to the crowd singing along to realise that the music speaks for itself.
With all their recent success in the UK, 2010 looks to be a great year for this group of young lads and with plans to implement an extended tour around Europe, it won’t be long before we’re hearing more their rich and uplifting tunes with album number two.
Words by James Watts
myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks
