Review: Trash Boat Live At The Tunbridge Wells Forum

One of the finest alternative bands paid a visit to The Forum and I made a last-minute journey to check out the buzz around the band.

Trash Boat's latest release 'Don't You Feel Amazing?' gained them a lot of praise from both fans and critics alike. My first time hearing about them was late last year when they stepped in for Dinosaur Pile-Up to support Enter Shikari at Alexandra Palace which I was very impressed by at the time. I then saw that they were playing at one of my favorite venues, The Tunbridge Wells Forum, and I thought on the day that I should see what these guys are like at their own shows. Safe to say that they reminded me why I was so impressed with their live show when I saw them the first time around.

Before Trash Boat when on stage, their good friends' Modern Error went on stage to support the band. A mix of electro and Metal music, the band certainly gave me a feel of bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Enter Shikari, and Sleep Token. However, lead singer Zak Pinchin can captivate the crowd with his emotional delivery, and how the band can switch to using a synth on one song and to full guitars on the next is very intriguing. Certainly, a band that I'd like to hear from more and with a

set at Download festival later this year, I might see what they can bring to Donnington Park.

It then came to Trash Boat to greet the Forum for their first headline show since the pandemic and lead singer Tobi Duncan addressed the crowd saying it had been a "Hot Minute" but as soon as they kicked the set off with 'Silence is Golden' you really wouldn't be able to tell that they haven't played a headline show in a while. The band seemed to have no nerves in playing a headline show and played every song to perfection. I love bands that can recreate the sound they make in the studio onto a live setting and Trash Boat are the kings at doing this all while keeping the energy levels in the crowd high and making sure that no one is standing still.

One of the best parts of the show was 'Alpha Omega' where Tobi was getting the crowd involved in the chorus of the song getting the crowd the chant "you're a fucking idiot" when the chorus kicks in with many starting the biggest mosh of the evening in the middle of the floor. Duncan can control a crowd so easily and has a lot of charisma when he is on the stage and this song was a perfect example of this.

The band also played some older songs such as 'Strangers', 'Brave Face' and 'Tring Quarry' which went down as a treat for long-time fans with the crowd singing and moshing along. It also displayed Trash Boat's everchanging sound from the stake punk sound from their early days to the more heavy alternative rock sound from their latest release. I loved this as it meant that we got an array of songs from this set which made sure that the set did not become stale and gave every fan something to be happy about. But for me, the band saved the best till last. the band ended with the song 'He's so good' which tells a story about a man who's in a relationship with another man and the trials and tribulations of their parents finding out. Tobi introduced this song telling the crowd how people have asked about his sexuality and how he doesn't want to put a label on himself and how we should love whoever we want to love. For many years, rock and metal music have been shrouded in misogyny and homophobia so to see a band talk about a subject like this and support their fanbase to be who they want to be no matter their preferences is so refreshing. It gave a good feeling around the Forum that everyone was welcome to a Trash Boat gig which is always key to having a good atmosphere. Once the song kicked off the moshpit opened up once again and Trash Boat ended the show on a high.

Overall, I do not regret my decision to go down to the forum that evening as Trash Boat put on a fantastic show which showed off how great the band is at getting a crowd going and their skills as musicians. Also to see the band creating a safe environment for their fans where everyone is welcome making the experience even more enjoyable. I can only see them going up from here and playing on bigger stages very soon.