The 23rd October saw Bristol based band Coasts bring their chilled and laid-back vibes, which wouldn’t sound out of place on a tropical island, to Nottingham.
Support came in the form of In the Teepees and White Giant who were faced with the task of getting the small and hugely diverse crowd ready for the main event. White Giant, in particular, made a lasting impression being described as “the best band we’ve been supported by yet” by Coasts themselves. Their sound was very similar to that of Coasts which meant for a nice transition when their set was over. They looked as if they’d just been picked out from the crowd just before their set began but their sound gave off no such impression.
When Coasts started their set, with a single palm tree prop placed in the back corner of the stage (if that’s not tropical island then I don’t know what is), the crowd still hadn’t grown to any real number which left the room quite sparse but this clearly didn’t affect them as their set got underway.
They started with ‘Wallow’ before moving onto ‘Stone’, both songs from their 2012 EP ‘Paradise’. This helped ease the crowd into their newer songs, as the two songs had been previously released so helped the shift to newer material seem much more natural.
One potential negative which could be aimed at Coasts is that many of their songs sound very similar. Granted, you don’t want a band whose set sounds like one continuous song but is it such a bad thing that they’ve found their sound so early in their careers? Despite the fact you had an idea of the song coming next, it also meant there were no surprises and each song was as good as, if not better, than the last one.
An all-round enjoyable gig was rounded off with ‘Your Soul’ and crowd favourite ‘Oceans’ which, despite the tiny crowd, caused a bit of a sing-along for the first time that evening.
Coasts may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I have no doubt that most people leaving the Bodega on the 23rd October had a great time and like Coasts that little bit more having seen them live. They may not be the biggest band in the world, but give Coasts a listen and you won’t be disappointed.
By Aaron Brudney
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