ClubNME Portsmouth with The Sheepdogs & Kassassin Street

I started Saturday 12th May on a train from London Waterloo to Portsmouth, I’d just played Propaganda London with Russ from Bloc Party and DJ Dan. It was a spectacular night.

On my journey south I was blissfully made aware that an impromptu guerrilla gig was to take place in local Southsea shop Dresscode, where ClubNME headliners The Sheepdogs and locals Huw Olesker & The Barebackers were to play.

Fair to say anything impromptu takes a bit of work and effort, pulling numerous strings and a hell of a lot of patience the ClubNME Portsmouth team brought it together and packed out the tiny shop, all of whom attended then taking to social networks to praise and urge all to The Wedgewood Rooms for The Sheepdogs performance that very evening.

Previous ClubNME Portsmouth shows have seen Australian beach pop Bleeding Knees Club, NME lauded Cerebral Ballzy, album chart topping King Charles and indie upstarts TOWNS take to The Wedgewood rooms stage alongside a multitude of local talent to boot which has included Melodramas, Clayton Strange, The Planes and Curxes. With DJ’s poised, doors opened and we began to fill.

First act on the nights bill are indie-electro outfit Kassassin Street, with a recent EP release in motion they plough into their set headfirst. EP opener ‘Finger On The Pulse’ is a build hit, vocal harmonies ensue around a smattering of electronic vibes and some of the best guitar work I’ve seen locally for a long while. Kassassin Street bring 90’s indie to the modern day with their own edge, a set which is both pleasing to the eye and ear.

The nights headlines were Saskatoon, Saskachewans (That’s in Canada) The Sheepdogs. A band heavily praised by Kings Of Leon front man Caleb Followill, A band who are in history the only unsigned band to grace the front cover of Rolling Stone magazine and a band who in the previous few days had played at a venue called Sticky Mikes, which in fact lived up to it’s name.

Draped in late 60s vintage attire, beards a plenty and a handlebar moustache The Sheepdogs eased us all into their set. Closing you’re eyes for a second would instantly transport you from the moody red light of the stage, back into what you could mistake The Wedgewood Rooms to feel like in the 60s.

With a vocal that is clearly from the soul, front man Ewan Currie holds a guitar like a plastic toy (I’m unsure if he is a distant relative to WWF wrestler Big John Studd). Alongside Leot Hanson on guitar, Ryan Gullen on bass and Sam Corbett on drums they play The Beatles meets The Doors in the deep south with influences of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedance Clearwater Revival and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Throughout the whole set The Sheepdogs entice their audience deeper, while at intervals exchanging banter and anecdotes of back home. Tracks ‘Please Don’t Lead Me On’ and ‘Learn & Burn’ go down well though the odd shout for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Free Bird’ could be heard on occasions.
Ending their set wasn’t enough for the ClubNME audience though who chanted for more, The Sheepdogs then returned to play well known hit ‘I Don’t Know’ ending with monstrous applause.

It’s clear to see that the sounds that The Sheepdogs are making are seeping into the current musical climate, with bands like Alabama Shakes, Howler and Jack White taking it to the psychedelic euphoric vibe.
For those who attended The Sheepdogs at ClubNME Portsmouth will be well aware they have seen something special and it’s only a matter of time before we see them playing bigger shows and festivals in the United Kingdom.