This was a showcase at The Water Rats featuring three new bands that I knew very little about. I arrived early enough to catch the last ten minutes of Veins opening set, they are a four piece from Corby, not to be mistaken for any of the other bands called Veins. The first song I heard was about Suffering it was episodic and going in several directions at once. They then closed with a song about what happens in his sleep, it seemed to be more of a nightmare than anything, this went all over the map of Post rock, proggy in places Nu Metal, that meant by the time they finished I was bored having only seen 10 minutes of the bands set.
After the break it was time for Koyo to bring an irrepressible energy to promoting the Leeds-based band’s third album Onism that provided most of the material they played, from the opening gloriously funky riff of La Cucaracha we’d stepped up several levels and this had so much groove to what Huw Edwards was playing you couldn’t stand still. Mechanical Bull had a crunchier riff but still with a good funk edge from Jacob Price’s keyboards and samplers, while Huw told us how he wants to live life. Hooked has a super hooky bassline that Layth Ibrahim emphasised with some gutsy movement, while Huw kept the party going and took a couple of fiddly yet totally engaging guitar solos that went up his fret board.
They then wanted us all to watch the Electric Eel, a band I would have loved to have seen live. This wasn’t as crazed as that band, but meshed some hard industrial drumming to the almost disco guitar. Huw introduced Dark Horse, a full on immense instrumental. Into The Dirt featured Jacob going nuts on his cowbell to the extent he knocked it over. Is This Real featured some very cool falsetto vocals and an incredible drum solo from Tom Higham that was fluid and full of energy before they closed with Walking On Air that only hinted at connections to John Martyn’s Solid Air. It was also not about the term used for the reaction of the Hanged man after the rope drops. this was a cool way to end an impressive set.
It was then time for Fourmarks who I assume are four blokes called Mark. Of course only one of them is actually called Marc. They opened with the almost rave rap rock of 2120 that asks questions about acid rain while stating clearly they want the system and the world to change in positive ways. Living On My Own is a song for anyone who’s moved far from home to a new town and are trying to make it on their own terms, with Tal Jane’s crunchy guitars and Pete Baker’s forceful drumming to get the point home. Reflection was not as soft and reflective as the title would suggest and saw Marc Singh-Jones getting more impassioned vocally. Short Da Pound takes aims at all the corrupt politicians and bankers working the system and getting away with it. Heart Attack has them frozen in time when it all happened and the crisis went full blown, against Sean Douglas’ samples/keyboards and Tal’s guitar working with strange energy to push them back into rhythm.
This Ain’t Art this is indie art rock trying very hard to get us all jumping around. True Anon is for any idiots who truly believe in all the Qanon theories that threaten to destroy the post war consensus. They closed with For The Record that lists a few of the things they want to make clear they want to change, this sounded huge and was an energetic way to close a promising set.
Live review of Fourmarks & Koyo @ Water Rats, London by Simon Phillips on 7th May 2025. Photography by Louise Phillips.
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