Last week, UK buzz quartet The Bohicas (their name, a surprising acronym for “Bend Over, Here It Comes Again) made their maiden voyage to Australia off the back off their debut, self-titled EP and a couple of fantastic singles that came off its back, namely “Swarm” and “XXX” – which were released as an excellent double A-side music video.
Both tracks embody everything this band is about – raw, fun rock n’ roll, mixing the classic British sounds of bands like The Beatles and The Kinks with the Joshua Tree drenched modern aural pleasure that is coming from Joshua Homme and his related projects – I think we can label the latest incarnation of the Arctic Monkeys under that banner can’t we?
Playing at the Oxford Art Factory, the band were surprised by a sizable, enthusiastic crowd. This trip is all about laying the seeds for future trips down here, augmented by what they hope will be a successful debut LP later in the year. But if the show in Sydney was anything to go by, they may be struggling to create the same sort of “oomph” that they achieved with their debut tracks.
Opening strongly with a trio of tracks that included opener “Where You At” and “In The Mood”, things seemed promising. The band were tight, the drummer a standout and the songs infectious. As they started to drift through the middle of the set though, with a Nirvana-riff laden number and “Rampage”, things weren’t quite as impressive. The songs, they would be the first to admit, are still in their early days, so it’s perhaps an unfair assessment at this stage – but the intensity of tracks like “Swarm”, which we had all come to the show to experience, just wasn’t there.
Indeed, the best was saved for last, and in their 45 minute or so set, perhaps it would have been better to have the singles interspersed. By the time “Crush Me” off their EP came – though a highlight it was – it felt they had lost the crowd. “XXX” followed, and the momentum grew and then “Swarm” finally convinced people to get moving – but that was the end and by this point it was too late. Still, a killer track done justice live…
Though smart to get the band down here early to lay the groundwork, much as they’d do at home, perhaps it was a bit too soon. The new songs are still being fleshed out, and with some 17 tracks under their belt, in consideration for the debut record, some of this material may never see the light of day. For some of the less exciting numbers, this may not be a bad thing.
But with the music we already know well from the East London based quartet, they have already shown they are capable of so much more. We are in need of another great rock band to come out of the UK – and The Bohicas do seem like they may be in for a good shot. But with great buzz comes great responsibility, and here’s hoping that the trigger on that debut LP hasn’t been pushed too early. Sometimes bands need room to grow before they can surface. Alas, we remain a while away before we hear the record, and so let’s just put it down to this: the verdict remains out on these guys. File under “shows promise”.
The Bohicas‘ debut EP is available now. You can watch our interview with the band HERE.
