Review: The Hoosiers – The Globe Cardiff 27 May 2014

You may remember The Hoosiers from their debut number one album “Trick to Life”. That was a few years ago now. Since then they’re on album number four and haven’t really reached the heights that their peers have.

But last night on their live showing at The Globe, you have to wonder why. I can write this review with you realizing I wasn’t a massive fan. I knew the singles but didn’t really know much else, but as you’re realizing my love for The Hoosiers is no longer just a passing phase.

First off, four, count them, four support bands, including one to watch in Ariana and The Rose – very Chvrches/St Etienne like in their style. For the price of the gig (£12) you wouldn’t really expect much – but in terms of value for money, probably the best pound for note I’ve had in a long time.

Going back to an earlier point I made, on how they’ve not reached the heights of their peers. Back in 2007 you had the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, yes, even Razorlight. Granted the two former are still about and doing well, but you have to wonder why The Hoosiers didn’t cross over as well. Live they’re on the mark. They’re everything a band should be. Connecting with the audience comes naturally, in fact getting into the audience is more the point here with Irwin walking into the crowd twice and becoming part of it whilst still performing.

It’s for this reason that I can say the gig was one of my most enjoyable (even though at 5’8” I had a tall bloke in front of me so missed most – damn you tall people!).

The mark of a good gig is always when you hear one of the songs on the radio, you’re taken right back there. For me, that’ll be Choices (started acoustically), Cops & Robbers and of course Goodbye Mr A.

Special mention to Alan for the entertainment of mistaking the word tangent for tandem. One as you know is a two seated bicycle, the other for when you go off somewhere when you’re talking – Thanks Al (and thanks Hoosiers for tweeted my photo of a tandem – I did mean to Photoshop something to have both tandem and tangent in the same photo – but it was 1am and I was in bed)

They’ve rarely come to Cardiff, but surely after this, they need to come back more often – maybe riding a tandem?

[youtube=http://youtu.be/0fTJot9-Bd4]

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