Yak cover Lonnie Donegan at tiny London show last night (19th May)

20 May 2015, 17:10 | Written by Sarah Sweeting

(News)

(Yak)

Despite the basement of the St Mortiz club being something of a medieval cave, psych rock ‘n’ roll band Yak offered those gathered in it nothing less than blood, sweat and tears last night.

The trio of Oliver Burslem, Andy Jones and Elliot Rawson kicked off the show with a Lonnie Donegan cover in “Cumberland Gap”, seguing in to “GRMK” five minutes in without a breath. This set the pattern for the next couple of tunes, a ‘no escape’ approach that proved to be somewhat hypnotizing.

Come “Hungry Heart” and “Smile”, the eyes of the crowd are glued to the stage like zombies, becoming vicariously turbulent as the music emanating from the stage grew more visceral.

The band ended on the title track from their much anticipated EP Plastic People, due out on Monday 25th May - the same date they play the Sebright Arms in London.

Setlist:

Cumberland Gap
GRMK
Kid Ya Self
Hungry Heart
Smile
Roll Another Baby (working title)
Curtain Twitcher
Plastic People