The Subways
The Zodiac, Thursday 7 April, 2005

When you hear the word 'subway', what springs to mind? Perhaps a dingy underpass, filled with tramps' wee and broken bottles? Maybe a sandwich chain often found at railway stations?

Well hold the mayo, cos that's all about to change! The Subways are a mutha-lovin' hulk of a rock 'n' roll band who are about to enter your life. They'll fill your head with thoughts of foxy bass players and choruses more infectious than the plague. Averaging 19 years each, they're a little younger than most, but isn't that what this is all about? Having the energy, vitality and ability to harness the power of youth. The Subways are spilling over with all of the above.

Coming on to the Beach Boys' 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', they look pretty unassuming. A young Dave Grohl climbs behind the drum kit. Bassist Charlotte Cooper's trademark mini-skirt attracts the usual wolf whistles from the beer-boy contingent. And her boyfriend Billy. well, he just keeps his head down, with only a little wave to acknowledge our welcoming roar. A guitar is slung in his direction, wrapped around the shoulder and away we go.

What strikes you first is the sheer racket these three young whippersnappers can make; and it's not just a matter of turning the amps up to 11 either. Billy's guitar is truly ferocious - he looks and sounds like a young Pete Townsend, angry at everything and hurting like hell. Every word is delivered perfectly, full of intensity and bile when it's needed, softer when singing about life's sweeter feelings. If Kurt Cobain had been less afraid of the anti-punk trappings that success can bring, Nirvana would have sounded exactly like this.

Like many of the best bands, The Subways don't cover much new ground lyrically - love, lust and teenage longing have all been done to death. The key is that they're able to say it in a way that doesn't sound at all contrived. "You are the sun, you are the only one" isn't trite in any way - it's just clear that Billy's girl is the centre of his universe. When he and Charlotte whisper, "where you go, I'll follow" at one another, it doesn't feel like we're invading, but that they want us to come too.

So much of the set sounds instantly classic - 'Rock 'N' Roll Queen' and 'With You' will be standout tracks on the forthcoming Ian Broudie-produced album, while another highlight comes when debut single '1am' is dropped to everyone's delight. Many will have come along tonight on the back of 'Oh Yeah', and it's wisely kept in store until the end, causing the place to absolutely erupt. It sounds immense and irresistible, even harder and more impassioned than on record. After just 35 minutes, we're all sent home at EXACTLY the right point. Leave 'em all wanting more, that's the message from the coolest kids in the class.

Make no mistake, you need this band in your life. Ignore the doubters; get out there and see The Subways for yourself. Beg, steal or borrow a copy of 'Oh Yeah', and keep a close eye out for that debut album in the summer. Tell everyone you know to do the same, and not one of them will regret it. What a band, what a future, and what a show - not bad for a school night.

Rob Barker. 8/4/05