“FUCKING HELL, MIDDLESBROUGH!” was the battle cry of drummer Martin Couri this evening as The Courettes shook the roof off The Westgarth Social Club tonight, endearing themselves to an already affectionate crowd as they wrestled with the finer nuances of the Teesside accent when pronouncing “Middlesbruh”.
The decision to hold tonight’s gig downstairs on the more intimate “Westgarth 2” stage proved to be an inspired one, as the room was packed to the rafters, full of sweaty punters, each of them with smiles seemingly tattooed across their faces. The Courettes and the town of Middlesbrough appear to have formed an unlikely fondness for each other, with a significant chunk of the crowd yelling back with a resounding “yes” when asked if they’d seen the band before, whilst other “Courettes virgins” were immediately won over by their infectious bubblegum pop melodies meets sleazy garage rock stomp.
Performing material mainly from their latest LP ‘Back In Mono’ and its companion ‘B-Sides & Outtakes’, many within the crowd were already familiar enough to sing along as Flavia encouraged everyone, especially the ladies in the room (“let’s show everybody that rock ‘n’ roll ain’t no boys show!”), to get their Friday night dancing shoes on.
Audience participation seems to be high on the agenda, with the band at one stage having the crowd sit down during a two-minute reprise before having everyone jump up in unison, and also leading a communal “fuck you!” to their previous record label, with tonight having the feeling of what can only be described as a proper rock ‘n’ roll show.
I mentioned in the preview for this gig that The Courettes are more than a mere “retro” act, in that there is a genuine sense of dedication to their craft, and that translates into their live performances as much as it does their records, making them one of the leading lights of this current garage rock revival.
Furthermore, due in no small part to promoter Stephen Harland and Down by the Jetty promotions, Middlesbrough appears to be firmly on the map as a crucial stop for any band touring the UK right now, with well-attended gigs and satisfied punters becoming increasingly commonplace. The band’s merch table appeared to be very busy too, with a noticeable amount of folk clutching newly-purchased vinyl to take home.
The Courettes feel as though they’re on the cusp of big things, and to see them in such an intimate venue was a real treat.
