Live Review: Toodles And The Hectic Pity, Soot Sprite, Cosmit | The Mount Without, Bristol | 27/07/2023
A night of collective joy and laying pain to rest - all within an actual crypt. Here's what entailed at Toodles And the Hectic Pity's album release party in the crypt of The Mount Without.
Cosmit
The first of a three-band bill all under the Specialist Subject Records banner, local lo-fi luminaries Cosmit open proceedings in the crypt in the only fashion they know how; flamboyantly. Either one of Bristol’s best kept secrets or one of its most criminally under-sung bands depending on who you ask, the Cosmit’s delightfully scrappy blend of breathless garage punk and Northern Soul goes down an absolute treat with the early crypt dwellers gathered here this evening. There’s no gimmicks, embellishments or fraudulent falsified pretences of grandeur, just quick dashings of carbonated punk delivered with ingenuity and the right amount of swagger.
Clearly, it’s what the genre – and this audience – demand. In an era where many an act attempt to carelessly toy with genre experimentation, Cosmit substitute such rampant trickery with genuine energy and flamboyance, ultimately ensuring their overall sound and presence is one of unfiltered joy. There’s a few hiccups here and there, but overall, it’s nothing that subtracts anything from this brilliant and snappy set from one of Bristol’s best uncut gems.
Score: 8/10
Soot Sprite
In contrast to such colourful and vibrant dashings of punk, Exeter’s Soot Sprite offer a more introspected and wistful set. That’s not to say this is a dismal affair though – far from it in fact. Now firmly a staple of the Bristol scene following recent visits with the likes of Shit Present, Orchards and FES, Soot Sprite treat the populace of this here bone basement to a set of wonderfully tender sadgaze that channels the pains of growing up, self-comparisons, and as expressed in a great rendition of ‘Lazy’, the woe of living in an endless apocalyptic drama.
Heavy subjects indeed, ones more than suitable for a room such as this. But despite such rampant anxiety and existentialism, but the manner in which Soot Sprite probe and document such themes is nothing but wonderful. There’s nothing of a ghastly nature to be had here, just brilliant and intricate emo-tinged indie that makes such ruminations sound downright palatable, inviting and simply lovely, especially with the more grungier textures and live trumpet within the likes of ‘Accolade’ adding further textures to the band’s pliable sound. As they cap off their set with the ever-relatable ‘It’s Summer and I Don’t Feel Like Smiling’, with Soot Sprite’s brilliant ability in expressing woe in a way that’s welcoming and pacifying, it’s clear that if there’s any restless spirits within this crypt or amongst the tombstones outside, they are well and truly at peace now.
Score: 8/10
Toodles And The Hectic Pity
No strangers to the crypt life, this is the second time that Bristol’s favourite amalgamation of folk, emo and punk – Toodles and The Hectic Pity – have headlined this subterranean venue. It’s also the second time that the crypt of The Mount Without has hosted a release show for the band, with Toodles previously using this space for the release party for the Ghosts, Guilt & Grandparents EP back before the pandemic. However, what separates this event and their previous release show in this mossy cavern isn’t a world changing plague, but rather something slightly more nice; Toodles’ own debut LP, Hold Onto Happiness With Both Hands. And tonight, as the band perform the record in its entirety, this capacity venue follows the record’s namesake with full conviction.
As Toodles tentatively open their set with the warm nature of ‘Wake Up Cold’ prior to lurching with haste into ‘Solitary, Or So It Seems’ and ‘Sitting Down In The Shower’, the inherent human emotion that binds this record becomes palpable, but in a way that’s utterly polarised. Instead of this set being a time for wallowing, this very real and tangible sense of emotion becomes something, joyous, life-affirming and collectively shared. This is very much a community event with human connection at its very core, something that becomes clearly evident as the band cycle into ‘Religious Experience On The Bristol-Bath Railway Path’. Truly, it’s a moment that almost feels spiritual, especially with Ellis Morgan and Erica Freas reprising their respective guest appearances on cello and vocals respectively in order to amplify the track’s quiet magic.
In fact, as the band tread into ‘The Enemies Of Happiness Are Not Sleeping!’ – featuring Danny Lester on trumpet – ‘An Incurable Soul’ and the rowdy hit ‘Emotional Unclean’, it becomes transparent why Toodles handpicked this venue for this release show. To an outsider, it may seem bizarre for band of Toodles’ sunny disposition to perform in an environment such as this. After all, crypts are typically places assorted with grief, ghouls and bands that wear cosmetics that make them look like giant pandas. However, as the play-through of record reaches it’s zenith and as Toodles jump into energetic previous fan favourites such as ‘Menthol Cigarettes’, ‘Call In Sick’ and ‘Fates Worse Than Death’, the reasoning becomes clear. Much like how Hold Onto Happiness With Both Hands is a record about putting previous woes and grievances to rest to achieve self-betterment, tonight as a whole stands a collective and utterly cathartic exercise in burying and laying to rest personal struggles to ease one’s burden. Yes, this wonderful and welcoming venue may have served a more macabre purpose in another life, but tonight it’s home to nothing but collective and inclusive joy. As Toodles & The Hectic Pity end the night with the now timeless and utterly jubilant ‘Ducks’, it’s hard to think of a more fitting venue for a night as cathartic and life-affirming as this.
Score: 10/10