poppedmusic

The Old Pink House and The Pale White

Northumbria University, Newcastle, 8th December 2018

Words: Sammy Sadler 

This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed The Old Pink House and The Pale White. In fact, I don’t think it’s even my second. I’ve seen these two bands a lot over the past year and they get better each time, with this show being my favourite to date.

Arriving at Northumbria University on a rainy Saturday night, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite venues in Newcastle due to its fantastic sound quality, I scuttled down to the front just in time for openers The Old Pink House to take to the stage.

The young outfit have built themselves up quite a following recently with both headline and support slots across the North East, so it was no surprise to find that the room was already packed as we waited for them to come out.

Boasting a set packed with dazzling pop meets indie-rock, The Old Pink House delighted us all with their popular bangers and brand new tracks making their first debut.

One of my personal favourites ‘Jaded’ made an appearance with its soaring 80s-style synths that swirl around funky riffs and foot stomping beats. ‘Silver Cadillac’ was another lush treat with its cosmic-pop soundscapes raining down on shimmery percussions and closer ‘Hearts Beat’  showcased a much more serious side to the band as frontman Christopher Brown switches between a dreamy echo and impressive falsetto.

There’s a 1975’s vibe that rings throughout the tracks from The Old Pink House, I’m not sure if they are a key influence of theirs but it sounds fantastic and distances itself away just enough that it’s unique.

Headliners The Pale White don’t need an introduction, especially if you’re a North East music fan. These guys have been on my radar for a while now and they are doing incredibly well for themselves, so much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if they followed in Sam Fender’s footsteps in 2019.

The Newcastle indie-rock trio have treat fans to some anthems this year so it was incredible to see that their final show of 2018 was completely sold out.

Strutting onto the stage, the outfit got straight into their raucous packed setlist with its foot-tapping beats and chaotic riffs. Opening on ‘Trapped Nerve’, eccentric guitars clashed around powerful percussions as frontman Adam Hope exclaims “I hope that everything’s alright.”

There’s a serious Jack White vibe that radiates from Hope that is difficult to ignore, he carries a certain swagger that’s pretty captivating and adds to the ‘cool’ rock and roll atmosphere that surrounds the trio.

‘Peace Of Mind’ was a definite highlight with its gritty riffs and echoed snarl from Hope which explode into a jingly chorus that borders on pop before bringing you back to earth with epic escalating guitar patterns. ‘Turn It Around’ and ‘Loveless’ also deserve a special mention as they were what got me into The Pale White in the first place. There is something about both tracks that oozes with nostalgic punk rock brought into 2018, with euphoric soundscapes that sound even more exceptional live than they do recorded.

I’m so excited to see what both The Pale White and The Old Pink House do in 2019 but one thing’s for sure, I’ll definitely be there.