Review by Rhys Buchanan – Read Rhys’s interview with Peace’s Harrison Kossier here –Ahead of this week’s Glastonbury Festival, we’re dipping into our archives to re-post reviews of acts playing. You can watch Peace on the John Peel Stage at 3.30pm on Friday 28th June.
Drunken indie youth tirelessly swoosh into each other during the lulling guitars of “California Daze”, and quite frankly there is no place I’d rather be.
That’s right, Peace are back in Bristol for the first time since their appearance alongside Miles Kane, Django Django and Palma Violets at the NME Awards Tour in February. In the queue we see double denim, paisley shirts and haircuts that old Morrissey would be proud of. The gig is rather understandably sold out; I needn’t go into details about how big these four hip Birmingham lads have gotten recently, but we’re talking 39,301 facebook likes, just for the sake of reference.
I was just wondering what the young guns in the crowd could pull out of their sleeves when the little clicks of the “Delicious” intro began. A moment later I was pushed from behind and I knew it was going to be an atmospheric one. By the time the grungy funk opener had ended, we’d joined numerous dance pits, worked our way to the stage having dodged those notorious Fleece pillars, and became as hot as Worcester Sauce… (Peace are from Worcester, so I felt the need to justify that belly achingly good gag.) Seriously though, everything on the night was impulsive, spontaneous and backed up by the youth howling back the relatable lyrics.
Sticking out like an attractive sore thumb was “Float Forever”, which saw pals clamber onto each others shoulders beckoning “you know you’ll float forever…” with hands held as high as a kite on acid. Ah bliss – it’s inevitable that this band is going to soar even higher, it’s evident just by the reaction that “Float Forever” provoked. The night culminated with “1998”, the one that frontman Harrison told us he thought nobody would like. Yeah right; as soon as that muffled bass-line hit the chest cavity of the crowd, people were pushing each other aside, forming a gaping circle within the dense crowd. Around the two minute mark that psychadelic guitar bit built everything up, then an electrical storm of young madness wreaked havoc upon the venue.
It’s hard to believe that Peace only played their first ever encore a few nights prior to the gig, but I don’t think they’ll ever be looking back. After grabbing guitars and brushing hair out of eyes the previously mentioned “California Daze” showed up. I’m sure a good few in the crowd had purchased the Record Store Day 7″ a few days before. Indie barnstormer “Bloodshake” then rounded it all off. The song saw teens launching themselves into one another, exchanging sweat and cider during further mosh pits. It left everyone on a ridiculously euphoric note and I’m telling you, don’t miss Peace on the festival circuit this summer or you’ll be a kicking yourself in years to come.
To find out more about Peace visit their official website
For up to date gig listings for The Fleece in Bristol click here
Read more of Rhys’s work at his personal blog here
