Stray Scene with Bad Luck Brian and Deep Sea Daggers at The Cask Inn and Club, Scarborough, 13th December 2024.
A £5 entry fee for three cracking originals bands is bargainous by anyone’s standards, and this evening in the Cask’s underbelly was decently busy, with one of those really buzzing atmospheres that only comes from the crowd and artists knowing they are in for a good night.
So it was as Deep Sea Daggers kicked things off, staunchly launching into a set of powerful rock grooves. They steadily attacked a set that kicked off with Ridiculous Me and worked through a series of their staple barnstormers, including their early release, Everything I Had, and recent single Blacked Out. Mermaid Love showcases clever lyrics paired with beguiling riffs and was a stand out track for me on this particular evening.
This is a tight set from talented musicians, performed with the control of a coiled spring and pulsating with intense musical energy. As the starter for the evening, they deliver more than enough to sate musical appetites.
But there is plenty more yet to be served, and Bad Luck Brian launch into the fray with Dodo and all their trademark brightness; they somehow bring a joy and playfulness that almost belies the intricacy of their brilliant, bittersweet songwriting, seemingly effortless playing and natural connection on stage. On a style and tone level, the first and second acts are complementarily contrasting; but in terms of vibrance and quality, they are paired like cheese and wine, in a flavoursome combo.
Fair to say, it will take more than a Fish Tank to impress me… but this quirky track is a highlight, as are BLB staples, Gary’s Song and Masterplan, an emphatic anthem that ends their set on all the right notes. If you need to raise your smile quota, this is the band to see; I am firmly of the opinion that they should be available on prescription.
Stray Scene arrive as the dessert dish on this magnificent menu of local music. Veterans of the scene, nonetheless it has been some time since we have had the opportunity to sample a hometown gig, and the appetite from the crowd is tangible. There is much dancing to be witnessed from festive fans, as the lads took us on a journey from the Dark Side of the Seaside, via a Dirty Brothel, all the way to being Out of Control, travelling through some of their other much-loved hits, such as The Day the Clown Cried, You’ve Got the Clap, and Chasing the Madman.
I know I have seen Stray Scene countless times over the course of at least 12 or 13 years, and through various line up changes, but they remain consistent, bringing intensity and energy to banging tunes, with skilful playing and charismatic crowd-pleasing.
A superb line up of local talent proved just the tonic in the pre-Christmas period; any one of the bands alone is more than worthy of your time, and as a triple treat, this evening at the Cask was a pure delight.
