Candy Williams
Candy Williams, Misha Phillips
Candy Williams @ The Prince Albert, Brighton, UK, September 13, 2025,
Sep 21, 2025
Pictures by Nick Roseblade
Internet Unique
Matinee gigs are like photo voltaic eclipses, heat FA Cup finals, and nice late evening prepare rides with no dickheads on them that don’t occur fairly often are one thing to relish and stay up for. This gig is one I’d been trying ahead to for MONTHS! Misha Phillips, in addition to being the Lambrini Women drummer, additionally makes unimaginable music in her personal proper. 2024’s “Moulin Rouge is Subsequent” may be very hardly ever away from my stereo, and ears, and her Smoking Room venture can be second to none. The gig was billed as Smoking Room, however I’d hoped for just a few surprises. The headliner was Brighton cult heroes Candy Williams, who hadn’t performed on the town for a VERY very long time. The opposite added bonus was it was within the afternoon, and I might take my daughter. At seven she likes gigs, however there aren’t many we are able to truly go to collectively and our final one was getting on for a couple of 12 months in the past. She wasn’t conscious of both act as a result of, um, she’s seven however I’d performed her just a few issues, and she or he was sufficient to come back alongside. Or perhaps it was the promise of a pint of pineapple juice throughout the gig that actually made her .
Sitting on a stool/chair (it was exhausting to see a lot from my vantage level; Phillips performed her flying V guitar with all of the understated perspective you’d anticipate. The set was a combination of outdated, new, borrowed and blue. Opening with “Tearful Breathless” from 2022’s “All the pieces Ends” Phillips launched into the seven-song set. The vocals had been sturdy however breathy. After the opener two new songs had been performed “A Winner Each Time” and “Nadine”. Through the set Phillips did what I preferred most and didn’t actually say something. A couple of songs in she mentioned, “Hello, I’m Misha. I play drums. I’m very confused now…” to huge laughs. After “Nadine” there was a canopy of Arthur Russell’s “You Can Make Me Really feel Dangerous”. This was a delight, however, you realize, mournful and with glacial sounding guitar. Two extra new songs obtained an outing earlier than the set completed with “Moulin Rouge is Subsequent” a tune from Phillips’ final solo album of the identical title. These 4 new songs had been heavy however not riff-fests. The lyrics felt poignant however stuffed with hope. Or that might simply be my perspective. “Moulin Rouge is Subsequent” was the most effective tune of the set. It’s successfully a canopy, however extra like a reimagination, of Jimmy Campbell’s 1970 banger “In My Room”. As a substitute of singing and taking part in guitar and singing Phillips had a backing observe and sang together with it. Just like the album model, the tune began out usually, however when it reached the “My Favorite” line the report began skipping on. At this level Phillips disappeared from view and began, properly, making a racket together with her guitars. After a couple of minutes of this the tune kicked again in once more, however issues weren’t as pastoral as initially. Phillips remained hidden and began to provide partitions of suggestions. It was like being at a noise gig, however it was 2:30 within the afternoon and there have been youngsters knocking about. I requested my daughter what she considered the noise sections. She smiled, shrugged, mentioned she preferred it and instructed we must always get extra pineapple juice from the bar downstairs.
By the point we reappeared Candy Williams had been about to begin their set. It had been six years since their final Brighton gig and expectation was excessive. Full disclosure, I like Candy Williams and have a few albums, however I used to be right here for Misha. So long as nothing dangerous occurred throughout the subsequent set I’d be going residence very completely satisfied. The set was largely culled from the brand new album “4 5”. A triple report beast that spans, look ahead to it, 45 songs. They had been nestled subsequent to outdated favourites “Glass State” and “Trip A Gold Snail”. As I’ve solely performed the brand new album twice, it’s actually bloody lengthy okay, I wasn’t as conversant in the songs as I’d have preferred, however all of them sounded nice. The band appeared barely tense, however this could possibly be as a result of it was one in every of their early gigs with this lineup. Saying that they had been very tight and hit their marks, other than when the drummer performed the flawed intro and the whole lot got here to a standstill whereas they labored out what to do subsequent. Like Misha earlier than there wasn’t a number of chat from the stage in between songs. When frontman Thomas Home did converse although it was a combination of astute observations or ramblings. At one level he mentioned “There’s something, properly, you realize, um, you realize, about matinee reveals. They’re, um, form of…” and trailed off. He was jovially heckled “We’re solely right here since you picked this time. We’d have come again within the night…” at this Home pretended now to listen to the heckled and appeared barely bewildered. This little bit of pantomime made the gang whoop it up. Later he mentioned, “I by no means know for those who ought to say the tune titles earlier than, or after the songs… however I say them after”, however at no level did he truly inform us the names of the songs. I wasn’t certain if this subterfuge was on function, a part of his on-stage persona, being carried away and having some beers earlier than the present or was a cheerful accident. It made for an fascinating time having an unreliable narrator on stage and added to the thrill of the music. Sadly, they didn’t finish with “Kill Me Jane II”. It could have been superior to listen to this line, who had been tremendous tight, get caught within the groove of that tune and simply keep there for minutes, however as Home mentioned on the finish “That’s it. We don’t know any extra songs!”. Given Home’s persona it’s exhausting to know if that was true or not. I’m guessing it most likely was although. This new band hasn’t had lengthy to follow and making them study EVERY tune can be nigh on unattainable.
The one draw back to the day was as we left Preston Park station we had been confronted with a gaggle of a dozen males, inebriated, and looking out very happy with themselves, dripping, in St. George’s Cross. They’d both simply come again from London or had been about to go up. It was with a tragic pang that I realised that regardless of having a stunning few hours with like-minded folks even Brighton isn’t resistant to them. Then I remembered the beautiful music we’d heard and the way we’d walked out with smiles on our faces, and I felt okay once more.
