Yard Act @ HMV Vault, Birmingham
Yard Act have just embarked on a wide-ranging tour to promote their new album Where’s My Utopia. Warming up for this they played several in-store gigs including an appearance at the HMV Birmingham Vault .
In-stores tend to be strange affairs. This one was no different. The Vault is a new location in Dale End and I was struggling to remember what was in the building before HMV came along. As Yard Act singer James Smith mentioned this has to be the biggest HMV he, or any of us, has been in. Imagine the area of a football pitch filled with records, cds, books and a whole host of incongruous items from energy drinks to Japanese snacks. Then stick a tiny stage at one end.
This was a peculiar thing as the newly expanded seven-piece Yard Act were crammed into the available space with bassist Ryan Needham and guitarist Sam Shipstone virtually hidden by the PA. I had wondered how they were going to cover the expanded range of sounds that Where’s My Utopia serves up. The last time that I saw Yard Act live they were just the four-piece with drummer Jay Russell completing the line-up. Christopher Duffin was added a while ago to bring keyboards and Sax to the party and two additional singer/dancers/percussionists, who I think are Catherine and Daisy, making up the seven.
Yard Act have taken the pale orange motif into this tour with all seven looking like pastel versions of The Frank and Walters. No ties though. They opened appropriately with the first tune on the new album, An Illusion. This sets the tone for the whole album that is really a commentary on music in 2024, fame and how to deal with it, and why anyone should be concerned about others’ opinions. All the tunes on show were from the new album but it was clear that the audience were already familiar with them, songs like Petroleum and We Make The Hits having been amongst the teaser tracks.
James seemed pleasantly surprised at the number of people who were there, all clutching tote bags of merch in anticipation of the post set signing session. We were in a human sized version of a rat intelligence test, a small crowd watching the gig whilst being in a queue. All very civilized like a huge amusement park line.
The short set was punctuated with the usual James observations, about the venue, the t-shirts lining the walls. I go a shout-out from Christopher for my Cardiacs t-shirt. Apparently James thinks Cardiacs are “wicked”. I hadn’t realized he was a pondie. They are everywhere.
There was a brief comedy interlude when James pointed out the expanded line-up, joking that anyone could join the band so long as they knew what to play. One fan at the front mentioned scissors, a reference to Noel Gallagher’ Glastonbury set. James then went backstage to find some whist the band noodled along but returned only with two teaspoons and some bags of Haribo. Undaunted, the young lady in question played the spoons and pocketed the Haribo. Look out for her in the tour proper!
Nine tunes later and if felt as if we were all just warming up but that was the gig. Time for the faithful to get all their merch signed along with a few photos and selfies.
I was glad to hear how well the album transferred to the live setting. The minimalist approach has been replaced with something that is more mature, if less immediately accessible. They could have easily produced an album of post-punk standards but instead they have been much more adventurous. It will be interesting to see how they structure their set lists on the full tour.
Yard Act Set List:
An Illusion
Grifters Grief
Dream Job
Down By The Stream
Petroleum
Fizzy Fish
We Make Hits
When The Laughter Stops
A Vineyard For The North
Review and dodgy iPhone snaps: Ian Gelling
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Yard Act Tour dates start in the UK and ROI.
13.03.2024 UEA LCR NORWICH, UNITED KINGDOM
14.03.2024 ROCK CITY NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
15.03.2024 O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM
16.03.2024 O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM
17.03.2024 NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UNITED KINGDOM
19.03.2024 MANDELA HALL BELFAST, UNITED KINGDOM
20.03.2024 VICAR STREET DUBLIN, IRELAND
22.03.2024 INVISIBLE WIND FACTORY LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM
23.03.2024 O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM
24.03.2024 THE GREAT HALL, UNI STUDENTS UNION CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM
25.03.2024 DOME BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM
27.03.2024 EVENTIM APOLLO LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
After a long list of dates in Europe and The US they return for the Festival Season:
26.07.2024 TRUCK FESTIVAL 2024 STEVENTON, UNITED KINGDOM
26.07.2024 TRAMLINES 2024 SHEFFIELD, UNITED KINGDOM
02.08.2024 Y NOT 2024 DERBY, UNITED KINGDOM
03.08.2024 MILLENNIUM SQUARE LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM
23.08.2024 VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL 2024 OLD PORTSMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM
01.09.2024 CLIFTON DOWNS BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM