Nathan Collett recounts Tom McGuire and the Brassholes' set at Rescue Rooms
After seeing Tom McGuire and the Brassholes in Liverpool a few months back, I was stoked
to see they were coming to Nottingham on the second night of their England tour this
November. Playing to a packed-out Rescue Rooms, the band wowed with their four-piece
brass section, funky bass solos, high octane keyboard, and Tom’s endearing stage presence.
Opening the night were the local blues/soul group Lucille, who did a great job in bringing
some energy to the crowd, who really took to them. This was my first encounter with Lucille,
but their smooth and enjoyable sound left me wanting more. They had some great songs
and were accompanied on backing vocals by Leah Wilcox and Dorothy Ella, who seemed to
fit right in. I really enjoyed Don’t Let Me Fall In Love, which I thought epitomised their
blues/soul sound as it had me swaying like I’d heard it fifty times before.
With a quick turna round Tom McGuire and the Brassholes came out opening with Super
Solid Soul Vehicle a fan favourite from their most recent album Stay Rad. Bringing their
usual high-energy and groove-filled performance style, the crowd were with them from the
word go. One thing to note about this band is that every single member absolutely oozes
charisma and has their own way of bringing the best out of the audience. The front man
Tom McGuire ensures there is constant energy through his leg kicks, guitar solos, and his
attempt to go from his lowest to his highest note.
"One thing to note about this band is that every single member absolutely oozes charisma and has their own way of bringing the best out of the audience."
Other members of the group asserted their own skilful solos, which were met with an
incredible audience reaction every time, this was particularly evident during 2nd Place
which saw a class trumpet solo meriting a great response from the crowd. Whilst I just
highlighted a specific solo, each of the musicians on stage deserved credit for their
performances which were applauded and cheered for after their individual opportunities to
shine. Despite having seen the band before, my expectations this time round were
completely exceeded. I thought that Rescue Rooms was great venue for the eight-piece funk
group, as the enclosed space allowed for the saxophones, trumpet, trombone, drums,
guitar, keyboard, and bass to marry perfectly, creating a colossal sense of excitement and a
wall of sound which would compete with any gig of a much larger scale.
The last section of the show was packed with positivity and self-love, as the band played
Stay Rad, the title track to their 2023 album, before Tom encouraged the crowd to chant
along shouting ‘I am rad as fuck, and I do cool shit.’ This self-affirming mantra is a message
which applauds individuality and encourages everyone in the crowd to embrace who they
are. This chant brought some great positivity before the frontman told the crowd to ‘have
unshakable faith in your own radness’, the band then finished on Unshakable as the last
song before their encore. This song saw the keyboard player jump out from his position to
join Tom with his high leg kicks, whilst adding his own high energy dance moves which were
lapped up by the crowd. With cheers for every new dance move the noise was deafening as
the band looked to close the show.
After the age-old chant of ‘one more song’, the band inevitably returned to the stage to
perform two more tracks. They closed the night with Better, a song about overcoming
depression, after pointing out that statistically fifty percent of the room would likely have
suffered with their mental health. Banging his chest with his fist, McGuire stated that
‘moments of life, they are so bright, they matter.’ This was incredibly well received and
created the perfect, positive, and wholesome end to the night.
Overall, Tom McGuire and the Brassholes at Rescue Rooms was an incredible night of music
and fun. The only complaint I could possibly have had was that they weren’t on stage for
longer. They’re a band to keep an eye out for, and I certainly cannot wait for them to return
to Nottingham.
Nathan Collett
Edited by Tabitha Smith
Featured Image courtesy of Tom McGuire and the Brassholes via Facebook
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