After the recent release of Volcanoes' EP 'Shaking That Brass' with four new songs from the Leeds/Sheffield four piece, their live performance was anticipated with some curiosity. It is always interesting to see if the band can deliver a live performance that is akin to the quality of a produced CD. In the case of Volcanoes, I am pleased to say that they could play live; and well too.Oporto was a fun place for the series of bands to play and it was concerning to hear the previous band's over-loud noise and bored looking lead singer however, when Volcanoes took the stage, it was a different matter entirely. Taking sure note of the notice behind the bar 'stage-diving at own risk', which would have been interesting as there was no raised platform to launch oneself on, the band opened with 'What You Came For.' Immediately they rocked out with lead singer Samson Bedford giving quite a performance with a hip-wiggle that Elvis would be proud of.
Other highlights were the songs 'Temple', also on their latest EP and 'King of the Hill.' Temple gives the band the chance to add a twist to the normal menu of guitar rock and coupled with Samson's strong voice, you can get very involved with the song for a good few minutes. King of the Hill adds a bit of humour as the band perform about their other pastime, snowboarding, and you can imagine yourself carving down a mountain with these guys playing on your iPod. Volcanoes gave a credible performance and it is a wonder they haven't been signed to a label yet. They are worth seeing live, they can play and perform good quality indie rock that you can pick out from the rest, let's hope they are offered more dates in Leeds.
