4/5

WELSH rock band The Bug Club celebrated their new album in style with a high-energy show at The Brickyard in Carlisle last week. 

The creative trio of Sam Willmett (guitar/vocals), Tilly Harris (bass/vocals), and Dan Matthew (drums) formed The Bug Club in 2016 and have proven to be extremely popular in the seven years since, boasting more than 50k monthly listeners on Spotify. 

On Friday, October 20, they visited one of Carlisle's most intimate venues for a packed-out show, attracting a wide range of ages and personas.

Following a superb warm-up from Carlisle's own musician, Bert Wilson, and a few technical difficulties, I got my first glance at the Bug Club, and prepared myself for an evening of indie music, based purely on the band's aesthetic. 

But you should never judge a Bug by its cover. 

Even the most committed chorophobe would have found it difficult not to at least tap their feet as Sam and Tilly came together in the centre of the stage with their carefree, almost Guitar Hero-esque, garage rock style of playing.

Their two completely opposing on-stage personas, which were perhaps reminiscent of David Byrne and Kim Wild, complemented each other wonderfully, and as someone who was previously unfamiliar with the band, I was constantly left wondering what they would do next.

Each song told a story - or five, in the case of the 10-minute spectacle Intelectuals - and while the lyrics were sometimes difficult to hear or comprehend, they were often wacky and wonderful. 

It's Art will be stuck in my head for some time, while Marriage was a personal favourite.

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The band's almost improvisational feel set a tone for the night as the crowd was taken on a vibrant journey from song to song.

I for one was left laughing and smiling by the sheer weirdness of some of the lyrics, especially in Short and Round, when we were informed that the secretary of state has exactly the same haircut.

While the music itself wasn't to my usual taste, The Bug Club's high-energy, quirky, and wildly non-uniform style ensured a fun-filled evening at The Brickyard.

The Bug Club's new album Rare Birds: Hour of Song is out now.