As the long nights draw in, bringing darkness, cold and rain all around, thoughts in Norwich turn to the best ways to keep warm and entertained. What better place to look for respite from the onset of the winter weather than the city’s traditional home of molten rock, The Waterfront? Fanning the flames tonight is Norwich’s very own indie-rock trio, Cutback.
It’s an unassuming start as singer Chris Sammacicci quietly welcomes the crowd before the room is filled with the snarl of guitars and the tumultuous thunder of the drums of “Fix”. The furnace has well and truly been lit.
The crowd moves closer as stragglers make their way into the fray, drawn in by the mellifluous sounds of rock and, indeed, roll. The band sounds tight, bigger acts than this, in both name and number, have failed to fill this stage; Cutback are filling the whole room. Banter is light-hearted (we’re pretty sure that talk of a coke habit was a joke at least) and entertaining but it’s all about the music. Mid-way through the set, the revellers are treated to the debut of new song, “Hear You Now”. It begins with a sneer and a wail of feedback before dissolving into a softer ballad, with twinges, just twinges, of “Purple Rain” permeating out from within. There is a sense of a TV friendly epic about this one. It’s the kind of song an X-Factor winner would ruin for their debut single.
The set closes with fan favourite “Audio Suicide” and another new track “Last Forever” and all too soon the show is done. The coldness of the night returns as we leave the venue, stepping out into the rain, but at least now we have the sound of Cutback ringing in our ears and the heat of “Hear You Now” to keep us warm.
Cutback played:
“Fix”
“Don’t Want It”
“17″
“Hear You Now”
“Audio Suicide”
“Lasts Forever”
i love these guys! very glad they’re working on new stuff and getting it out there.