Ebb

The Cluny, Newcastle

10 May 2025

Ebb seem to aiming for a reputation as the hardest gigging band in the UK. Their names turn up everywhere, and they seem quite happy to drop everything and come to Newcastle as a last-minute replacement for This Winter Machine, who pulled out of the gig due to a band injury I think. If any of the crowd are upset by the change of band, none of them show it, and a decent number have turned up to see them, and seem very happy with what they get.

The Cluny seems like an ideal venue for Ebb. I saw them a year ago in a pretty terrible venue and was waiting for a chance to see them somewhere better, and this is definitely better. The stage isn't huge but there's still room to move, the lights and sound are as good as you expect in a small venue, and the prog-friendly crowd fits in it comfortably. Not a massive crowd, but probably as good as you could expect for a new band in this genre. There's some noise from the disinterested people near the bar, but sadly that's par for the course for support bands at venues like this, and everyone who's actually paying attention to the stage is completely behind the band.

It's easy to focus on the visual aspects of Ebb's live set. It's a band that put a lot of effort into their stage act. There are costumes, and choreography, and back projections, and bubble guns. There's a theatrical element, with a character who comes on at various points in a number of different costumes, including a "French maid" who "dusts" the instruments and even the band members (while they're still playing). It's all fun and entertaining, but visuals aren't what make me go to a concert, and it wouldn't count for anything if it wasn't in support of good musicians playing good music.

And I'm happy to report that the music is great. The visuals aren't trying to cover up an inferior performance, they're complementing an amazng performance by an extremely talented group of musicians and singers. The music has plenty of melodic hooks, and then twists off into the most hardcore prog directions you can imagine.

And they're clearly having fun too. As singer/guitarist Erin Bennett gleefully says, "Nothing's more joyful than a bubble gun!"

They play for an hour, and most of the material seems to be drawn from a forthcoming second album, which seems to be an organic continuation of the sound they established on their debut. I'm not familiar enough with the set to go into specifics, but I didn't hear a single moment I didn't like. And I aim to become more familiar as soon as possible ...