We enter a packed out Mello Mello, playing host to many a band for the LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY festival. On this occasion, Newcastle’s four-piece BLANK MAPS take to the stage.
We’re greeted by great vocals from lead singer Thom Piddock, lilting guitar rifts, solid bass notes and steady drumbeats. Hitting the higher notes nicely, Thom sings with confidence, and the crowds seem to like what they hear. The audience is mostly male – not quite sure why more women don’t come out to gigs to enjoy the sounds of new indie ambient rock bands, but it does seem to be a common phenomenon, at least until the bands get bigger… or the lead singer gets hotter.
Thom pauses in between tracks to let us know that he took the day off work to do the festival – we’re grateful. What I like about this band is that they’re already very tight, and they play the kind of music I like – taut, vocal-led songs with pretty guitar and pounding drums.
Sadly, we have to race off and can only catch the first part of the set, but we leave a happy band and audience with a venue gradually filling up all the way past the bar towards the back door. This is a ‘young’ band, and we’re very excited to hear what’s coming next. Let’s hope they keep on developing their music, and that we’ll get to see them in Manchester sometime very soon!