The other week I had the pleasure of attending the homecoming show for Ugly on their UK tour promoting their latest EP Twice Around The Sun.
In the modestly sized venue of the Portland Arms, Cambridge, there was a hefty crowd which slowly started to pour in through the entrance. Supporting Ugly on their UK tour was a quartet indie, shoegaze band called Green Gardens. Their music was intricate with layers of arpeggiated guitars, dual vocals of different intensities and one hell of a drummer to back it all. The music was subtle and soft with brief moments of fervent vigour. A great support band to warm up the crowd.
Ugly piled onto the stage shortly after, setting up their keyboards and microphones. The six-piece band just quite fit onto the stage. This visual display perfectly encapsulated the band's music, being rich in textures and layers, giving the Portland Arm's sound technician a lot to think about. All backdropped by the handmade quilt which is also the artwork for the EP.
Ugly played some of their well-known previous releases, Sha received a mountain of applause and was dueted by the audience. Probably their most pop-sounding song which could be considered more easily digestible to large audiences.
I'm Happy You're Here which could be considered one of their more unusual songs was met with applause and shouts of joy as the thematic climax concluded.
Ugly also played several new, unreleased and unheard tracks along with their songs from the EP. Some of them sounded starkly different from their previous releases, yet it is hard to judge these songs on a live rendition and only once. Like many of Ugly's songs, repeat listens are needed to fully digest them.
It was a fabulous show. I was worried that Ugly was not going to be able to reproduce their multilayered songs in a live setting. While some elements were missing, such as the saxophone solo of I'm Happy You're Here, nothing felt truly absent. There were some technical difficulties from the midpoint of the show to the end with some audible popping sounds interrupting the flow of the songs. I believe this could have been caused by a faulty connection. It wasn't so constant that it ruined the show, but it did stop the flow of the songs.
The highlight of the show for me has to be the final song `The Wheel´. This beautiful track starts with a six-piece acapella, with different syncopated rhythms and harmonies. This builds and builds until the guitars, drums and bass kick in. While I initially thought this would suit better as the opening to the show, Ugly proved why it was the perfect closing track. The song delivered an incredible punch to the end of the show, leaving a shocking a breathtaking final track in the minds of the audience.
Good luck to Ugly on the rest of their UK tour and I hope to see them again soon, hopefully in a bigger venue next time!
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