Red Rum Club: Jacaranda Records Phase One, Liverpool

Red Rum Club (Warren Millar)

Red Rum Club brought their debut album in full to Jacaranda Records Phase One on the day of release, Getintothis’ Steven Doherty enjoys the mariachi vibes.

It was the beginning of the celebratory lap of honour for Red Rum Club, as they released their debut album Matador on Modern Sky UK on Friday (January 11), with a launch party at Jacaranda Records Phase One as the focal point.

At exact time of writing, they sat at number 1 in the alternative album charts and number 10 on the overall album charts on iTunes, just ahead of Fleetwood Mac and Ariana Grande. With so much positive praise for the album, it’s easy to see why there was such anticipation surrounding the event.

Last time they were seen locally, Red Rum Club were in the O2 Academy. This time round, the venue was somewhat smaller with a cosier atmosphere to it, split between acquaintances and people glad to get out of the house to witness the first big gig of 2019.

“What brings you to see Red Rum Club?”

Getintothis is spotted as an interloper and interrogated on arrival, and it’s soon clear we were in somewhat of a family enclosure, where the band’s nearest and dearest are gathered, proud as proud can be, extolling the virtues of why their brethren deserve to be up there.

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Luckily, we don’t have to make our excuses. It’s obvious the moment the six-piece (all dressed in variant shades of black) took to the stage that they deserve their place in the sun. They launched into album opener Angeline, and it was easy to gauge just why they have been taken to peoples’ hearts so readily – big catchy anthems, and hooks all over the place.

The brass element could easily be dismissed as a gimmick, cranked into every song when it’s not really required (hello, The Zutons), but here it genuinely adds an edge, something different, an extra layer which elevates pretty much every tune on the album (which is played in full, in order).

Speaking of Wirral bands, it would be lazy to just compare Red Rum Club to The Coral and The aforementioned Zutons, when a closer comparison would be, vocally to Echo And The Bunnymen and musically (yes, really) Space.

Packed down here, @RedRumClub launching their debut album Matador. Incredible level of support, uplifting. 🎺 pic.twitter.com/hS2anLZlRG

— Lewis (@LewisRids3) January 11, 2019

The first big sing-along of the evening belonged to Would You Rather Be Lonely?, and from front to back Phase One‘s arms were aloft. It was then followed by what is trailled as their new single TV Said So.

At times tonight, lead singer Fran acts as a band leader, orchestrating the tight outfit he is so fortunate to have behind him. Every track on the album could easily be a single, even the so-called ‘slow’ song Nobody Gets Out Alive is a crowd-pleasing banger, there’s no flab in this set, it works as a perfect 10 song package.

Calexico is introduced as the “song that the rest of the album is built around” and then they finish with the sole non-album track, early single Alone Together and then they announce that they have an announcement.

They are to return to the O2 Academy on Saturday, September 28.

It’s going to be big. They’re destined to be big.

Images by Getintothis’ Warren Millar