Last Thursday (30 October), three-piece, alternative rock band, Alvo Jade, took on Newgate Social, a grassroots venue nestled above WonderBar in The Gate (NE1 5TG) to promote their newly released EP, Round Pegs and Square Holes. With every step on the staircase I took, the intensity of Polyfillas’ - one of the evening’s opening acts- sound check reverberated through my body more and more.
Tickets for the gig were only £5 when purchased prior to doors, which is undeniably great value for the amount of local talent you’re able to experience in just one evening.
Prior to the concert, I was unfamiliar with Alvo Jade’s music and felt weirdly nervous as I was attending on my own. However, I was warmly welcomed by frontwoman Reese and drummer Owen, who were taking their time to greet everyone attending the show.
...unapologetically punk, and politically confrontational.
The first act of the evening was Polyfillas; young, fresh, unapologetically punk, and politically confrontational. Dressed to the nines in suits and smart hats, the Sunderland-based rock act set the tone for the evening with powerful vocals paired with razor-sharp lyrics.
Following Polyfillas was more local talent, Sarah Johnsone from Newcastle. Her alluring vocals and tone are reminiscent of musical icon Amy Winehouse. However, through a blend of blues and jazz with rock, Sarah Johnsone pushes genre boundaries and develops her own unique, punchy sound.
...monstrous bass lines, striking vocals, and even a touch of nu metal rap...
Undivine Telephoneline was the final opening act of the evening. Though they’ve been tearing up the streets of Teesside since 2019 using funk rock and unmatched energy, this was somehow the band’s first show in the Toon. Despite this, Undivine Telephoneline undoubtedly cemented themselves as one to watch, with monstrous bass lines, striking vocals, and even a touch of nu metal rap in the performance of their latest single, ‘In My Element’.
...a local woman... laying her thick accent bare for all to hear...
Alvo Jade commenced their set with ‘Decide’, the opening track to Round Pegs and Square Holes. It’s raw and it’s heavy. Reese opts for spoken words in this song, closer to shouts than her usual softer vocals. It confronts some of the political issues faced by working-class people in the Northeast. Having a local woman front and centre stage, laying her thick accent bare for all to hear makes the track that much more impactful. The audience were completely entranced by the band's strong presence as more people edged closer to the stage by the second.
Continuing in chronological order of the new EP, Alvo Jade next played ‘The Landing’, a track that differentiates the band’s new, more alternative sound in comparison to their previous, debut EP, Field Trip, which carries more of an indie rock vibe. I particularly adore Reese’s whisper of, “It’s not my fault you want more,” followed by Seb’s coarse, gritty guitar build-up.
...encapsulates the feeling of nostalgia, even if you've never heard it before.
Slowing the tempo down, Alvo Jade reminded everyone where they came from with the titular track from Field Trip. The track blends melodic, soft vocals from Reese with beautifully intricate fingerpicking guitar riffs to create a dreamlike song that somehow perfectly encapsulates the feeling of nostalgia, even if you’ve never heard it before.
...the emotion in her voice wasn't just present, but was completely profound.
We returned to Round Pegs and Square Holes with ‘Math’, a track that masters the balance between melancholy and passion. Reese harmonised with herself elegantly as the emotion in her voice wasn’t just present, but was completely profound.
After playing ‘The Bill’ from Field Trip, Alvo Jade introduced us to an unreleased song of theirs titled, ‘Fix’ to round off their set. Undoubtedly, this was my favourite performance of the evening. It possessed much more grit and a heavier rock sound to any of their previously performed songs that evening. ‘Fix’ left me craving more, obsessed with the intensity displayed on stage, and a perfect way to conclude the night.