Tigercub at The Social, Soho

One of the best things about living in London, or any major city for that matter, is that you never have to travel far to get to a good gig. If a band is touring the UK they are inevitably going to wind up in London and, equally, there are plenty of lesser-known bands playing venues all over the city.

Another great thing is that there is something to do on any night of the week. (When you have previously lived somewhere that resembles a ghost town from Sunday to Thursday this is very much appreciated.) So to spend your Wednesday evening in the company of Tigercub and not even have to pay a penny for the privilege is pretty darn great!

As you might remember, I stumbled across Tigercub just over a year ago when they were supporting Dinosaur Pile-Up at The Hope in Brighton. It was one of those rare occasions that we arrived in time to catch the support act and were very impressed. I've tried to see them a few times since and for one reason or another it just hasn't happened, but last Wednesday they were at The Social in Soho.

The Brighton three-piece have a heavily grunge-inspired sound fused with just the tiniest hint of pop. Growing up in the nineties they list a catalogue of great bands as influential to their work – Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Weezer – as well as a wider range including John Lennon and The Monks. Being a nineties kid too I'm a sucker for grunge and in my opinion they capture the best parts without sounding dated or overly nostalgic; it's different and new but still comfortingly familiar.

Musical talent aside, there is something immediately likeable about Tigercub. They have stage presence without having to try too hard, they seem like the kind of guys you could happily drink beer and talk music with and, most importantly, they seem genuine – you can always tell when the music comes first for a band and not the image.

The Social is a pretty small venue but the sound is good and Tigercub put on a solid show. Despite being a week night, the crowd that turned out clearly enjoyed the set and, best of all, the band played with the same commitment that many reserve for a much larger audience. My personal highlight was Centerfold, a song that perfectly captures exactly why I love Tigercub.

With so many bands emerging from Brighton it's pretty hard to stand out from the crowd, but I hope Tigercub's hard work and perseverance pays off. Although I enjoyed seeing them in such an intimate venue yet again, I feel slightly maternal towards these guys and nothing would make me more proud than seeing them play to the size of crowd they deserve.

This is their debut single Blue Blood, produced by Tom Dalgety and Dinosaur Pile-Up's Matt Bigland. You can also check out  Centerfold here.


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