Cold Years Come Back Home - Gig Review
Cat Martin
Following the release of their latest EP titled Northern Blue, Aberdeen-based rock band Cold Years have been keeping themselves busy with an endless list of festival and tour dates. Luckily, they were able to find time for an intimate hometown gig at Tunnels on the 12th of October. Cold Years were supported by Vansleep and Dude Trips, both of which come packing a steadily growing fanbase.
Alt-rock band Vansleep opened the gig with the same high-energy performance I’ve come to expect from them, throwing both old and new songs into their set (including their singles Get Up and Lover). They came accompanied by their new drummer, Bilal Benzahia, syncing up well with the other members despite it being his debut gig. Their jagged, sticky guitar hooks and smooth vocals are always a good start to any line-up.
Fraserburgh’s own Dude Trips were next up, much to the excitement of the crowd at Tunnels. They played a mixture of songs from their first and second EP’s (Sad Lads and Keepsake respectively). Their usual impassioned and emotional performance made sure their fans in the crowd were holding on to every word. It is a crying shame that this was their last gig until next year, but they definitely made the most of it.
By the time Cold Years began their set, the small venue was packed with people, eager to hear them play. One of the highlight songs was their track Seasons from Northern Blue, which came out in the March of this year. Frontman Ross Gordon’s thickly textured voice is reminiscent of old Americana, eliciting an emotional response that I had not expected. Most of their current track list have an easy, rocking rhythm and driving electric guitars that would put anyone in the mood for a spontaneous road trip. Miss You To Death was another stand out, especially the latter half of the song where the switch in dynamics is truly momentous.
Although Tunnels can often be a haphazard venue for gigs (usually not having quite the same atmosphere as other local venues), this was still a resounding success. The return of Cold Years to their hometown was long-awaited and beyond worth that wait. Old fashioned rock’n’roll might be dead, but it’s the right season for a revival!
