I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: February 1, 2019] SOAK.

I first heard about SOAK. from NPR a few years ago  I really enjoyed their songs and Bridie’s delivery was endearing and peculiar.  The songs were quiet and thoughtful and had catchy choruses.

When I saw that SOAK. was playing Boot and Saddle I looked up and found out that SOAK.’s debut came out four years ago!  And that they hadn’t been to the States on a tour for three years.  Then when I saw that this tour was only a handful of dates, I decided I had to see them.

I actually assumed that it would be Bridie solo.  So I was quite surprised to see a full band set up on stage.  I don’t know what’s happened since the last album, or if the lives shows were always like this, but this show absolutely rocked.

It opened with a pre-recorded intro (Bridie later explained that the album is kind of a concept album and this opening is on the record as well–I think it’s Bridie’s grandfather reciting it).  Then they launched into the first song on the album and it was great.

I need to find the band members’ names, but I was impressed with all of them.  The guitarist played some great solos (feedbacking against the amp) while also playing keys or various effects.

The bassist was fantastic.  She played these cool basslines that worked perfectly under the rhythm.  She also sang backing vocals, played guitar (switching guitars with the lead guitarist) and later played keyboards.

And the drummer had a nice mix of sticks and mallets to create a diverse sound.

But obviously, all attention was on Bridie.

Bridie played a hollow-bodied guitar for the whole show and it sounded perfect–a very different sound from the lead guitar.   And then came the voice.  It hasn’t really changed in the last few years, but it has a greater range and a lot more power than that first album would have ever led me to guess.

After another new song, they played “B A Nobody.”  And this is when I was really blown away.  Since I didn’t know the new material, I didn’t know if it sounded like that on record.  But I knew this song and wow, did they change it for a live presentation.

It maintained a lot of the quiet parts, but the band was never afraid to absolutely rock that song.  When it was over a guy shouted “that’s my favorite song in the whole world.”  Which seemed like hyperbole, but when the show was over, I saw him talking to Bridie and he said the same thing–I’m 49 years old and that’s my favorite song in the world.  Bridie joked that last time they played there, the singer was underage.

Bridie introduced “Blud” as a song about being a child of divorce and then gave a lengthy, amusing introduction to the cool new song “I Was Blue, Technicolour Too.”  In fact, Bridie had some enjoyable, amusing stories for most of the songs.

“YBFTBYT” was introduced with a story about people who smoke but don’t buy their own smokes, they just bum them off of others when they drink. “They’re the worst.  I do that.”   The song is about not having your shit together and being an annoying person, the song is called you’ve been forgetting to brush your teeth.  The bassist played keys on this song and sang great harmonies.

After playing one more song from the debut “Sea Creatures” they played the seasonally appropriate (and new single “Valentine Schmalentine”)–I’m trying to figure out how this fits in with the rest of the record.

As they prepared for the next song, the guitarist said he forgot something and he ran out the door at the side of the stage–I’ve never seen anyone go out that door before.  Apparently he couldn’t find an e-bow so he had to make do without and I think we all (the band included) were impressed by the great sounds he was making without that piece of equipment.

“Oh Brother” ended the set and, wow, was it intense.  Again, not expecting any kind of rocking from this show (I didn’t even bring earlplugs) I was shocked that by the end of the song.  The whole band had devolved into making as big a racket as possible.   Bridie knelt down, tossed the guitar away and started making all kinds of sounds with those guitar effects,  Meanwhile, the guitars were feeding back and the drums were pummeling away.  It was an intense noisy ending

For the encore break the band once again left the stage out the back door (I guess that’s where the bands park?)

They all came back after a couple of minutes and Bridie sat at the keyboard to sing a solo rendition of “Missed Calls.”  In an amusing moment, the bass guitar that was leaning against the side wall slid down and almost hit the floor during the song  Fortunately it landed softly and cleanly and the sound was off so it didn’t crash.

The whole band came out for the final song, the most recent single Everybody Loves You.”  It was a terrific ending to the night.

The show was great, so much better than I imagined (and I imagined it would be good).  I was really happy to go to this show (despite the snow) and to have this as my first show of the year.

There were not many people at the show (maybe 50), and when it was over, Bridie hung out by the merch table.  There’s wasn’t much to buy (her first album and a shirt), so we just chatted a bit.  I asked if they’d watched Derry Girls (Bridie is from Derry) and, duh, of course they had.  Apparently there’s even a mural in the center of Derry with the girls from the show on it.

After talking a bit I had to ask for an autograph.  I grabbed the setlist from the stage and got a signature (on the page with Bridie’s name on it, aww).

SETLIST (Numbers indicate track listing on new record)

Intro/”all aboard” (1)
Get Set Go Kid (2)
Knock Me Off My Feet (4)
B a Nobody*
Blud*
I Was Blue, Technicolour Too (8)
Déjà vu (9)
YBFTBYT (12)
Life Trainee (13)
Sea Creatures*
Valentine Shmalentine (11)
(interlude)
Oh Brother*
encore
Missed Calls (14)
Everybody Loves You (3)