This show from Gaol Bird is expertly pulled together and executed with immense quality: a fiery prospect with massive potential, regardless of who they may have been before.
Mother Mary’s is a tight room. The stairs down from the bar lead to a small stage under a low ceiling, littered with pillars and various vantage points from the drinking area above. It’s the perfect room for Gaol Bird to announce themselves properly. Borne from the ashes of satirical, (pre-sprechgesang moment) post-punkers Cabbage, ex-frontman Lee Broadbent makes a stunning entrance with his brand new outfit.
After Cabbage’s untimely end in 2021, Gaol Bird first made waves with a debut EP in June of 2023. A three song smash and grab of a release, the self titled EP is a brilliant introductory showcase – it left a grey shadow on Spotify not long after its release, becoming unavailable to stream, before a deluxe edition went live earlier this year along with the promise of some live shows.
Here we are then, at the first Gaol Bird live experience: fashionably late to their show, the band fill the small stage just after 9:30 and launch straight into brand new gear. It’s bouncy and exciting, slamming punk edginess into swathes of upbeat indie. ‘I Know Who Banksy Is’ is an early highlight, drenched in fuzz with cataclysmic percussion punching through the grungy soundscape, filling the room with wave after wave of noise.
The tiny space in front of the stage quickly erupts into frenzied moshing: Cabbage classic, ‘Indispensable Pencil’ causes the room to explode. No one expected to hear any Cabbage here, especially after Broadbent and co vowed to never play Cabbage tunes again. ‘Sober’ sees Broadbent espousing his outlook on a new way of life, aptly symbolising the rebirth of Gaol Bird, who rose from the ashes of hedonism so prescient with Cabbage. Broadbent delivers his words with poignant punch: he is utterly committed to this, and to Gaol Bird. It’s a brilliant moment, shared in a reverie with his crowd.
‘I Fell in Love With A Girl From Llanfair Pg’ is another huge moment, even if nobody else in the room can quite sing along with the un-abbreviated chorus, “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch”. The flag of Anglesey is catapulted into the crowd from the stage and does the rounds with sweaty punters: ‘Llanfair Pg’ is Gaol Bird personified: Libertines style 00’s indie is expertly fused with the fuzzy chaos punk of Cabbage to spectacular effect. Admittedly, it’s difficult to pinpoint every sonic nuance thanks to the sheer volume in such a small room, but it’s the small rooms like Mother Mary’s that makes these gigs so utterly special.
The finale is an absolute firecracker, with GB pulling out another Cabbage tune, this time it’s fan favourite ‘Uber Capitalist Death Trade’, which sends the sweaty room into utter meltdown. The pit is hungry, devouring audience members into the swirling chaos. This show from Gaol Bird is expertly pulled together and executed with immense quality: this band are a fiery prospect with massive potential, regardless of who they may have been before.
