BLISTERING SCUZZY GUITARS AND JACOB’S RAW YET TENDER VOCALS RIP THROUGH AN IMPASSIONED FESTIVAL CROWD
After falling in love with Wunderhorses’ debut Cub album upon hearing a few live session tracks on Jack Saunders’ BBC Radio One show a few years ago, I finally managed to catch them (or him, as it was a solo project then) at the packed out Manchester Ritz gig in October 2023. One thing that really surprised me was how different the band sounded live compared to on record — in a good way. What could be described as a brooding grunge and even soothing at times, all but punched me in my proverbial balls as Jacob’s voice captivated and the extended, improvised guitar solos showcased some of the best guitar musicianship I’ve seen from an emerging act. Ever. I was hooked.
At the Manchester gig though, half of the set consisted of songs from the forthcoming Midas album, which nobody had heard before. It was a brave move but it also got me INCREDIBLY excited for this second record, which is out on Friday 30th August.
So standing in the Radio One tent at Reading festival in August 2024, just a week before Midas drops, and with plenty of released singles I now knew (almost) every word to, I was incredibly excited to see what this setlist brought.
I dragged Ian, almost military commander style from the end of the Fontaines DC set on the main stage, so we got a great spot a few rows back from the front barrier and right next to the middle barrier which split the crowd. The result was an epic view, right in the heart of the action. Opening with the new album’s bolshy title track got our grungy little heads vigorously banging, and as the single has been out a while, a hearty sing/shout along.
Despite being newer, Rain also got a great reaction and took us straight into the Sweet Home Alabama reminiscent Leader of the Pack, their biggest song to date (according to Spotify listening figures), which saw a pit form on the other side along with some good old-fashioned crowd surfing. I loved how engaged the crowd was just three songs in and I just got the feeling that this gig meant so much to many people, not just me.
We were then treated to Cathedrals, a well-placed as yet unreleased single off the new album which was a nice sneak-peek. Predictably, the crowd quietened, but quickly exploded into a chorus and sea of fans on shoulders as Purple kicked in next. I was elated to see Purple get such a huge singalong; it’s hard to gauge what a festival crowd will be like, especially for alternative rock acts.
Next up was my absolute favourite song of theirs, Teal. It actually sat behind Butterflies and Girl Behind the Glass for me initially, until I saw it live. This track goes OFF! And they have a new intro involving a brief cover, overlaid with the Teal riff in the background, to build up the frenzy of the song before a sped up, beefed up first-verse guitar-wise, which attracted a huge singalong despite its fast, frenzied story-telling. And the catchy hooks, that Jacob almost spits into the mic while still somehow sounding melodic — “be more of a human less of a junky!”, “what if it did Katie, what if it killed her?!” among plenty of others — were screamed back by the crowd which was now bouncing and sweating, Nirvana 90s-style.
The final three songs were all new — Arizona, released a few days later, Silver and July — a bold choice that speaks of the band’s excitement and confidence in the imminent second record. It paid off. Silver, one of quieter numbers that I think is the most reminiscent of Cub to-date, offered a moment of tenderness and recuperation, before July’s Nirvana-esque chorus of “I’m ready to diiiiiie” snarled to close a whirlwind set that made me think “grunge is fucking BACK!” and left me buzzing for hours after.
It was one of those historic gigs for me, the type where there’s something palpable in the air that leaves every nerve-ending tingling. As I had the inevitable “what’s been your favourite set?” conversations with various inebriated strangers at the festival, anyone who had also been to see Wunderhorse agreed that it was an iconic, unforgettable performance that has undoubtedly earned them plenty of new fans.
I can’t wait to see them again in a few days time at their album launch show in Liverpool!
