‘No False Encore’ – Yard Act at Newcastle Student Union Review

“There will be no false encore,” James Smith, Yard Act’s bespectacled frontman, warns the sold-out Newcastle crowd. Want it? Earn it. Clap, stomp and yell out for that bittersweet final stretch. Oblige the “one more song” chants with a mosh-fuelled outing of The Trapper’s Pelt, an end piece that sees the crowd lose themselves to one of the rarities of the Mercury Prize-nominated four-piece. Yard Act’s return to the North East proper just a month after bagging themselves a top spot nomination is as electric a time as to be expected for a band riding such a big wave. That momentum transfers itself to that feverish atmosphere these spoken-word, post-punk stars have to offer. 

Fixing it up good for the Newcastle crowd, Yard Act were on fine form with Wilko Johnson tributes, covers of The Osmonds and a cheeky little nod to Kings of Leon. Frequent Smith was to note the smaller intimacy of the venue, money is just around the corner, and what better way to fire through Payday than with that note of immediacy. As Wet Leg and the likes of their Mercury contemporaries begin the next phase of their career, there is a feeling of something special in the air for a gig like this. Where getting close to the front means a cheeky wave to the lads on stage and a pint spilt down the back of the shirt that was bought from the gift shop around the corner. 

Still, that’s the point of a gig. Definitely so for Yard Act, where standing in the right spot means being thrown into the roof of the underground student union venue. Treating the crowd to new track Dream Job and firing into Dark Days right after gives no time for the audience to rest on their laurels. Incredible for those not wearing in a new pair of Doc Martens. Tall Poppies was a delightful, seemingly rare treat – a lengthy track that breaks into lengthy chat and makes up for some lost time to connect the dots of the band’s stratospheric rise so far. Yard Act have that self-aware perseverance necessary to power through with the lyrical tongue-twisters of Dead Horse or the IKEA-knocks of Fixer Upper. Fourteen tracks and a varied sway through the work the four have offered up so far. 

Eclectic that mix may be, it is only right to be selfish. No Peanuts, no problem. Fury is hard to hold when 100% Endurance is dedicated to the late, great Wilko Johnson. Firing into final track of the night, The Trapper’s Pelts rounds off a lovely evening that began with necking a bottle of wine and tallying up the pound coins to stick LCD Soundsystem on the pub jukebox. Acid Klaus opening for Yard Act was a delight for those that are wanting to dive that little deeper into what the troops over at Zen F.C. have to offer. What they appear to be offering so far are quality tracks, played to a room of quality people in a venue that may just be too small to hold the power and draw Yard Act now possess.