Photo Credit: Alia Thomas (27th March 2024 – Chalk, Brighton)
YONAKA brought the energy as they played their biggest headline show in Glasgow to date at the SWG3 TV Studio on a cold and wet Monday night, but the fans didn’t allow that to dampen their spirits as the band played a high energy set full of anthems which is what they are known for. After recently touring the USA with Cassyette, the UK leg of the Welcome To My House Tour began at London’s KOKO on 19th March with each of the previous gigs gaining positive reviews.
We had two support acts tonight, first up was Mimi Barks originally from Berlin but now in London as she brought her trap-metal/rap sound to Glasgow to play songs from the 2022 album DEADGIRL. First track Klingen and Stitches saw Mimi come on to the stage with an amazing outfit, a trench coat and spiked balaclava, not unlike Slipknot would wear from the artist that has previously played Download. There were only two musicians on stage, Barks and a drummer, quite a popular thing at the moment, with bands such as Royal Blood also following this formula. New track FSU was played well but for us Big Ass Chains, the final track, was the highlight of the set. 7/10
NOISY lived up to their name as the Worthing band led by Cody Matthews played a high energy set for the growing crowd. They released the ALL OF U EP on 22nd March from which we would get to hear three tracks including the title song. The eight-track set was very entertaining and even saw Matthews come out into the crowd for a dance with the fans during ALL OF U as a huge space opened around him. The alternative and anthemic rockers are produced by guitarist Spencer Tobias-Williams and they certainly got the crowd worked up. 8/10
Brighton quartet YONAKA are made up of vocalist Theresa Jarvis, Alex Crosby (bass) and George Werbrouck-Edwards on guitar alongside a session drummer. They burst on to the stage to screams from the fans immediately playing the anthemic track By The Time That You’re Reading This working the crowd into a frenzy as we all joined in with the chorus, definitely one of the biggest tracks from the latest EP. We would get to hear six songs from the Welcome To My House EP during the fifteen track set as the YONAKA continued with Greedy and Punch Bag before the popular Call Me A Saint had the fans in the TV Studio jumping up and down and singing the chorus as the first mosh pits of the night opened up.
For a Monday night this crowd have brought the energy which is what YONAKA shows are all about anyway, the high energy is continued during Creature and Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow. PANIC has an immediate connection with the crowd with the guitarist and bass player working their arses off to keep the energy at high intensity thus allowing Theresa to engage with the fans. “Welcome to my house/I’m lazy like a sedative” screamed Jarvis during the EP title track causing more mayhem within the connected crowd. For us the next track, I Want More is the type we want to hear more of with Amyl and the Sniffers influences running throughout from the vocals and guitar and another crowd pleaser as Jarvis once again engages with the crowd chanting back “I want more/Chaos, money, fame”. We were then treated to an acoustic version of Give Me My Halo which is where Theresa Jarvis excels projecting her voice beautifully, joined by George on the acoustic guitar followed by latest single PREDATOR that had everyone nodding their heads in appreciation. The next track is sung in true punk style as Clique gets the crowd involved once again building up to Rockstar, the highlight of the set so far. A large pit circle opens up to allow Jarvis to jump the barrier into the crowd for this one as she engages with the fans up close and personal and we join in with the chorus. The band leave the stage to get their breath back before returning with the finale: Seize The Power allowing everyone to enjoy these last moments of mayhem.
YONAKA will soon be playing bigger arenas with the only two in Glasgow bigger than SWG3 being Barrowland and the O2 Academy. Lets hope that they don’t leave it too long. 9/10
Written by: Alan Brown
