Kane Fulton

After only arriving back yesterday from a week long alcohol fuelled holiday in Spain, one could say that yours truly was in no mood for going to any immediate gigs or consuming any alcohol for at least, well, a day or so. However, upon remembering that Leeds quartet This Et Al were gearing up for a comeback gig at the homely (and indeed local) Brudenell Social Club, the liver was promptly given a kick start and ordered to hang in there for one more night. It somewhat begrudgingly agreed.

With their forthcoming release 'The Figure 8 EP' heading our way at the end of April, tonight's show was always going to be about previewing new material. However, the band decided to kick things off with 'All You'll Ever Be Is A Dancer' off their 2005 EP and a rip-roaring rendition of Baby Machine's (2007) opener 'The Loveliest Alarm'. The four members play with astounding ferocity and pinpoint precision. Almost every instrument is enveloped in delay or dripping with copious amounts of reverb; the band play loud and equally as hard. Frontman Wu and guitarist Ben both take turns to deliver ear crunching, drop tuned riffs that are especially piercing due to their often scratchy, trebly tone. The band did slightly suffer from the absence of bass player Chris's backing vocals, but Wu more than managed to carry off the vocal duties solo.

The songs from their aforementioned debut 'Baby Machine' were by no means simplistic rock songs, but the new material veers in a different direction, taking them away from the traditional rock structures of 'Wardens' or 'Of National Importance'. 'Back to Earth' is a particular highlight - an ear fucking disco stomp of a tune that even has Wu punching the air and announcing 'yesss!' after they finish playing it. The crucial elements of This Et Al's sound are still there - the pacey, drop tuned breakdowns followed by the quieter, segregated flurries of 16th notes that pierce Wu's urgent yelping; but there's something a bit more ambitious detectable amidst the organised chaos.

The band have already made their 'accessible' album with Baby Machine; which, in this reviewers opinion, is one of the most underlooked and finest debuts of the noughties. As such, the band are naturally going to want to step into a different direction, take a different approach, whilst perhaps still retaining elements of what is now a finely tuned sound. By the end of the set the band are visibly keen to exit the stage having been grinded down by the melting heat coming from the lights; but after some persuasive banter from the crowd, re-enter on stage to play crowd favourite 'Wardens'. It's been a long day for everybody here at the Brudenell - This Et Al were the headliners of around 7 bands, and as Wu thanks the few remaining, thrashing gig-goers, one excitedly pips up "You're worth it!"

Worth it? Even my battered liver was dancing along.

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