On a brisk & marginally uninteresting night in Norwich I journeyed forth to see Yuck at Norwich’s premiere live music establishment the Arts Centre. A classic Norwich show with a classic Norwich crowd drinking classic Adnams beer, making classic Norwich jokes it looked set to be a good evening.

With the departure of Daniel Blumberg from the band a number of years ago, I was conscious that the current guise of the group and their sonic delivery would be different to the glory years of their 2011 debut Yuck. It’s fair to say since that defining album, Yuck have not been able to channel the same raw, driving honesty that enabled them to create great songs such as ‘Operation & The Wall’. Musically Glow & Behold and Stranger Things were very similar to Yuck, but Blumberg’s departure did definitely have a lasting effect on the creative process – a shame, but I admire the group for keeping it together.

As the band come on to the stage there’s no cheering or the usual cat calls of excitable fans; there’s pretty much silence, a bit of awkward chatter and some guy with a Yuck tote bag losing his shit.

The band break into ‘Cannonball’ – a hard hitting guitar number – as the lead singer promptly pins a picture of our very own Alan Partridge to his guitar amp. Classics like ‘Holing Out’, ‘Get Away’, ‘The Wall’ and ‘Operation’ go down a storm and you can’t tell at all that Daniel Blumberg was ever in the band, in all honesty. Newer tunes such as ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘I’m OK’ are a bit more melodic-based, but sort of slip into mediocrity as the night progresses.

All in all, Yuck deliver a pretty solid show. Although you can tell they have been on the road a long time, and they can start to get complacent at points.

Aaron Powell

Photo Credit: Rory James

Set List:

Cannonball
Hearts in Motion
Holing Out
Lose My Breath
Get Away
As I Walk Away
Middle Sea
Stranger Things
The Wall
Hold Me Closer
I’m Ok
Operation