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Review: Getdown Services, Strange Brew – ‘Scrumptious, cathartic grooving tunes, drenched in sweat and reality’
Small venues and artists are skint, but there’s a lot of money flying around the music industry, £7.6bn this year in the UK to be exact.
But for just around £10 you can experience eye-watering disco rock superstars Getdown Services, whose latest tour came to its triumphant crescendo within the walls of another local institution, Strange Brew on Wednesday.
Yet, with relentless touring planned you can catch them again soon, including on New Year’s Eve at the Louisiana.
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Getdown Services bringing the house down – photo: Sophie Spratley
Tipped by Rolling Stone just this October that their “unrepentant silliness” is headed for the big time, fans in Bristol have long-known the duo Josh Law and Ben Sadler, who started Getdown Services by sharing demos with each other over lockdown, have what it takes to stand shoulder to shoulder with rockers like Warmduscher and Fat Dog.
Debuting their first ever full band show, their unabashed groove translated well, although the overall sound was better at their much-lauded Green Man Festival show last summer.
As is often the case, Strange Brew was packed – photo: Bella Spratley
Towards the end of the set, the laptop came out for favourites anti-landlord “Biscuit Tin” and party-starter “Caesar”, the latter nods to an unexpected but oft-mentioned touch stone for the band, Kylie Minogue.
Despite a fire alarm going off as the duo popped some Prosecco, Ben quipped “Who’s vaping?”, retaining the wit of their lyrics in flowing on-stage banter.
As with apparently every set they play, Getdown Services opened with “Crisps” now in a packed-out room, to a feverish crowd.
Many mouths moved to the lyrics. This track, along with “Cream of The Crop” feel like antonyms to a certain celebrity archetype of hyper polished, distant and vapid, image-focused artists who allow their music to sag, flaccid.
Meanwhile, throwing crisps from the stage, Josh and Ben are of the people. They might be on stage, but there is no pedestal.
More food is scattered as they throw a Whispa Gold chocolate bar into the crowd to an “ow” sigh-gasp as it firmly plants amongst the bodies. This specific chocolate is a reference to “I Got Views”, that has led to many fans gifting Ben and Josh the bars on their tour across the UK.
In-jokes abound and friends of the band (as well as Daisy, Josh’s partner) make appearances on stage.
Nods to spaces in Bristol, with lyrics including “Wapping Wharf, find me a worse atmosphere” and “Cabot Circus, shithouse” on Cream of The Crop prove alongside their universal appeal (they’ve had support from a Mexican radio station), some titbits work particularly well with a home crowd.
The duo have been playing the festival circuit this summer – photo: Bella Spratley
Mostly topless and complaining of the heat, Josh and Ben’s sturdy sweating bodies are framed by lights spiralling cross the crowd like a pleasing ancient circus.
Briefly, Rabbit, a local Vogue-featured fashion designer, is mentioned by Getdown Services, the brand’s Kiss Me tops are worn for a song or two before being pulled off.
Rabbit was interviewed by Bristol24/7, often unconventional in her collaborations as a high fashion brand, she adds the duo alongside Mikey Bligh-Smith, the surrealist comic, to her roster of peculiar people flying the flag for alternative culture.
Getdown Services ground us and are orchestrators of big grins and silliness.
It’s lovely to be shouted at by Getdown Services. As their final song ended, Ben and Josh lent towards each other, seemingly to kiss, laughed and then embraced in a hug.
The show was a testament to their friendship and the sense of joy the band bring to people across the South West and much further afield.
Main photo: Bella Spratley
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