Up and coming indie rockers, Plastic Glass took to the stage alongside fellow North East talents Clippah and Thieves of Liberty on Friday 16th August. The four-piece were second on the bill at the hugely anticipated Clippah Summah Scorcher which saw three local bands grace the stage of The Bridge Hotel in Newcastle.
It’s safe to say that the North East music scene is thriving with eclectic energy and talent at the moment, and night’s like Friday prove it. Towering over the Tyne, The Bridge Hotel boasts the perfect spot for an evening of energetic, live music, complemented further by the venue’s charismatic features and a huge selection of drinks.
Inside there’s an undeniable energy in the air as colourful revellers buzz around the bar sporting their finest Hawaiian fancy dress, all raring to release the stresses of the week and what better place to do so?
The venues upstairs function room presents the perfect live-venue, with its intimate acoustics and steamed-up bay windows. It’s the kind of place you would dream of seeing your idol in their pre-fame, authentic days when tickets cost 5 quid and all everyone cared about was the music. At least, that’s the kinda feeling I get when watching Sunderland outfit Plastic Glass perform live, there just seems to be something special about them, something that separates them from the rest.
After treating gig-goers to an energetic opening set, female-fronted rockers Thieves of Liberty left the stage, leaving the zestful crowd suitably hyped for the arrival of the Plastic Glass lads, and they weren't to be disappointed. Hawaiian t-shirts hung from the ceiling above the stage, as beach-themed inflatables danced around in the air, casting the room into a torrent of technicolour; the ultimate setting for some organised carnage.
As the clock struck 9pm, Plastic Glass took to the stage boasting their very own beach-worthy attire and admirable angst. They tore straight into hit track ‘Broken Town’ the lead single from their 2018 EP release, the track is drenched in rhythmic hooks and gritty lyricism, propelled further by frontman Lewis Conlin’s powerful vocals.
Broken Town tells a story of determination to escape the mundane and chase life’s dreams, hearing it played live cast a certain sense of irony, a bunch of working-class dreamers hauled up in a Newcastle pub having the time of their life, that’s the beauty of music. After an energy-fuelled opener, the four-piece settled into their admirable stride, treating the ever-filling room to the infectious tones of their musicianship.
Made up of frontman Lewis Conlin, lead guitarist Dylan Abbott, Ben Richardson on bass and Frazer Graham on drums, the band’s tunes are fused with stunning instrumentalism. We’ve all watched upcoming musicians in small, sweaty venues, it can sometimes sound a little hectic, where the elements of music bleed together and collate into a chaotic blend of white noise. Yet with Plastic Glass that’s not the case, their sound is polished, rehearsed and bloody great. Abbott’s Weeping guitar solos sail alongside Conlin’s vocals with grace, enhanced further by Richardson’s blistering basslines and Graham’s bountiful beats; the ultimate recipe for a musical feast.
Recent years have seen the Sunderland lad’s sound compared to that of the early Arctic Monkeys, so much so that they’ve been known to play some tribute sets paying homage to the Sheffield superstars. It came as little surprise when they used their set to treat revellers to a thunderous rendition of the Monkey’s classic, ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ - a blissful 3 minutes leading to induced chaos and an influx of inflatable sharks, what more could a crowd need? Perhaps a sneak preview of some new material?
The band’s new single, ‘Come Clean’ is out on Friday 20th September, so it’s no surprise they made some room for it on their energetic setlist. New tunes can sometimes gain a lesser reception from crowds, but this wasn’t the case with Come Clean. Its infectious intro is laced with biting guitars and a relentlessly-paced quip, the perfect way to provoke an already psyched-crowd for the last song of the set.
In a now packed-out room, Plastic Glass introduce their last song of the night, ‘Counterweight’. As a sea of hands enthusiastically bounces inflatable beach balls around, Dylan Abbott’s raucous Hendrix-like riffs submerge the intimate venue with the sound of Plastic Glass one last time, and what a sweet sound it is.
It’s only been a year, but what a year it’s been. Watch this space...Plastic Glass are rising, and they’re rising fast.
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