Afflecks Palace - Live at The Fleece, Bristol - 8th September 2021

The inaugural night of the Spirit Of Spike Island tour takes place in Bristol, a couple of hundred miles south of the legendary venue – the independent label makes no bones about its influences, and nor do the two bands on the bill.

5-piece Pastel, who hail from Manchester (of course), Dublin and south Wales have all the hallmarks of the dance-fuelled 1990s, with an undercurrent of epic groove running throughout their tunes.

Closing track ‘Deeper Than Holy’ also fuses some of the early hypnotic Kasabian work (singer Jack Yates does a very good Tom Meighan impersonation), with a bassline reminiscent of those featured on Urban Hymans. Pastel also bring to mind The Music, although that may be down to Yates’ Robert Harvey-esque mop of wavy hair, which works well as he sways to his bandmates’ powerful funk-grooves.

Headliners Afflecks Palace, named after an infamous shopping arcade in their hometown of Manchester, are the purest example of DIY; frontman James Fender informs the crowd midway through the gig that everything is coordinated by the band, including artwork, production of merchandise and the booking of this, their first headline tour. Their commitment and enthusiasm makes this readily apparent.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/09/review-afflecks-palace-bristol/