Last Monday night, Nai Harvest came to Birmingham for a show at the Oobleck in Digbeth. It had been quite a while since the band played Birmingham, having to cancel their last scheduled show here back in September in favor of a slot at Bestival. Thus, it came as no surprise that the venue was quite full even on a Monday night.
The first band on were Midlands locals Home Schooled [7/10]. After overcoming some technical difficulties, they put on a good show. The band visibly improved over the course of the set as they became more at ease with the audience. The band finished with their brand new song ‘(I’m Not) Feelin’ Myself,’ which sounded fantastic live. Even though they were the first band on and not many audience members were familiar with them, the crowd seemed to enjoy their set.
Next up were Nottingham natives Kagoule [7/10]. They played several songs off their forthcoming debut album Urth, which will be out in August on Earache Records. The highlight of their set was when they played the dreamy track ‘Blue,’ which will be on the aforementioned album. The audience seemed to enjoy their set for the most part.
Then Best Friends [8/10] from Sheffield were on. Their beachy garage rock vibes suited the evening’s mood well. The audience clearly really enjoyed their set as many were singing along to the songs. There was even a group of people dancing in a circle and throwing some pretty wild shapes throughout their set. The band’s high energy and upbeat sound were good for getting the audience excited for the headliners.
Finally it was time for Nai Harvest [7/10] to play. With their bowl cuts and shirts buttoned all the way up, they made quite a sight. The band even got rather festive writing “4/20” in duct tape on the kick drum. For a two-piece, Nai Harvest generated a lot of noise. However, they did not interact much with the audience and the crowd’s energy seemed to dip a bit. They played a lot of songs off their second full-length album Hairball, which came out this week on Topshelf Records. The audience seemed to get into the new songs just as much as the older ones.
Overall, it was a great show. The Oobleck was the perfect venue for it as the smaller room gave it a fuller, more intimate feel. Each band that played had a style that was distinct from the next, which made for a more interesting night.
