Live Review: Rats & Shines – Docks Academy, Grimsby
20/12/2024
‘Mad Friday’ at Docks Academy in Grimsby was the perfect setting for the high energy sets delivered by Liverpool’s Rats supported by hometown favourites Shines.
Photo by: Marc Whiffen
Shines being the support was ideal for Rats, similar in terms of the wider genre yet different enough to make this feel like a genuine ‘double header’. I’ve been a champion of the band from day one reviewing singles, gigs and their excellent debut album ‘How It Ends‘, it’s great to see them getting stronger gig by gig.
The set opened with a new number, ‘Radio On’, aired live for only its 3rd or 4th outing, this post punk banger has the making of a single in 2025.
Photo by: Marc Whiffen
When you combine two great musical minds they push eachother in terms of creativity and this is one of the things that makes Shines so interesting. Richard Dutton and Rob Cross in the same band are crafting some of the best tunes that either have created so far.
It was also great to see the lads from Scunthorpe, indie rockers Dirty Sterling in the crowd showing their support for the gig.
Photo by: Marc Whiffen
This was the first time I’d caught Rats and I was impressed with the energy and variety of their set.
‘Jack‘ Pretty much spans all genres, starts Indie Pop’ but ends in angry hip hop. Live, this rap is performed by frontman Joe Maddocks instead of the recorded version with Skinnyman, despite that, Maddocks nearly blows the roof off the converted church with the aggression that he spits with.
A very original sound that I’d describe as ‘Scouse Streets’ mixed with indie guitars and a bit of metal, psychedelic haze and hip hop thrown in.
I stood there thinking this is music that Joe Strummer and Mick Jones would have got – they would have looked at each other and said, let’s have a go in this direction a la Sandanista.
A great set swinging from this way to that with meaningful lyrics describing the trials and tribulations of life delivered in front of a backdrop of powerful guitars and drums which was delivered by a last minute stand in – hats off, wig on and apparently plucked from the band’s sub bench.
A new tune called ‘Sirens’ was performed to a great reception, this almost started a dance craze for the tune with hands in the air whirling and imitating sirens.
A few nods to Grimsby were slipped into the set, a mention of fish and chips and also starting a Grimsby Town chant of “We only sing when we’re fishing“.
Some proper chaos rounded the numbers off. It is like random lyrics are fed into a sonic washing machine and they come out pristine and fresh. They fit perfectly into the sound that I have christened ‘Urban Indie Pop’.
When you go to a gig and the venue isn’t 100% to the capacity, it usually makes for a better gig because those that are there, are genuinely into the bands performing and that was the case on Friday night. Rats‘ frontman Maddocks did promise that he will return to Docks though and next time they are gonna “Fucking pack the room out“.
