Dropping his guitar, lead singer Billy Lunn, unexpectedly jumped off the stage and leapt on top of the bar. He screamed for the crowd to get their hands up in the air and start to move. Satisfied with their response, he ran back on stage, picked up his guitar and continued right on playing. It was moments such as this at The Subways show at Slim’s in San Francisco that showed their determination to make this evening memorable. They succeeded, playing a thunderous, eardrum-bursting set. Combined with their powerful, adrenaline-pumping songs and bassist Charlotte Cooper’s mesmerizing stage presence, it made for an unforgettable night.
There were a total of three bands playing this night, and each seemed on intent on playing the loudest. First up was the amusing Two Seconds, who had that fresh, self-effacing “new kids on the block� demeanor and who poured everything they had into their pop-punk songs. The Shys then raised the volume significantly, playing a ferocious selection of songs with addictive melodies and dance-inducing beats.
Taking tracks off their debut album Young for Eternity, The Subways blasted out a set with songs like the head-banger worthy “Holiday� and “At 1 AM,� featuring a slamming guitar riff. Even “softer� numbers like the catchy “Mary� and the humorous “I Want to Hear What You’ve Got to Say� registered at a low roar. The lyrically whimsical “She Sun� was beautiful with its luscious, full harmonies; it was a brief respite from the intensity of the rest of the set. For an encore, they treated everyone to the fantastic “Rock & Roll Queen.�
While Lunn’s younger brother Josh Morgan furiously and steadily provided the rhythm, Billy and fiancée Charlotte seemed to undergo some sort of hyperactive response when playing their own songs. Cooper was the most fascinating to watch; intensely gyrating around the stage with a seemingly endless supply of energy, a whirling dervish of blonde hair and bottom end throughout the entire night. Lunn howled each and every word as if he was trying to be heard back home in England. As Cooper raced around him, he paced the stage, stopped to pose for cameras, jumped off the drum set, and flirted with taking a dive off the stage. The Subways gave it their all with a frenzied performance and terrific songs to back up the hype.
