The Futureheads, Independent, Sunderland

10:21am Monday 10th December 2007

BEING dropped by your record label after two albums might put some acts off. Being faced with such a vote of no-confidence could sound the death knell for a band, but The Futureheads have never been an outfit to take the road most travelled.

The loss of their record deal with 679 seems to have galvanised them, and it is surely no coincidence that for their first hometown gig since that fateful day, they were sharper than ever before.

From the outset it seemed that the band were determined to prove a point and, as they lurched from one post-punk stormer to another, it became blatantly obvious that there was no way they could fail to show the sardine-like Independent crowd exactly why they have a reputation for being one of the best live bands in the country.

The set was drawn from their two already released albums, as well as a number of brand new tracks which are sure to feature on their upcoming release.

The newer material has a much clearer punk edge to it, which may surprise the casual listener, but it is sure to be very popular with long-time fans. Broke Up The Time was easily the best of the new numbers, but the standard was high across the board. Of the older material, Decent Days and Nights and Man Ray stood out from their eponymous debut album, while Yes/No and Skip To The End did the job of ensuring the follow up News and Tributes, was well accounted for.

So, if this showing is anything to go by, it will not be long before The Futureheads are signed up again. Right now, however, they may well be the best unsigned band in Britain and if this is what not having a deal does to a group, there are a few more that could do with losing their contract.

Tommy Jackson

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