Set-List (Leeds Show)

- This Place is Full of Dinosaurs…
- Here Comes The Cavalry
- It’s Not Rocket Science
- Fine Tooth Comb
- What Page Are You on? (new song)

05/12/10
19:45 – 20:15
The Well, Leeds
£7.00

Leeds Indie Radio Review

“An Illusion of Grandeur From A One Trick Pony” is the latest album from Yorkshire-based band Itch and quite rightly serves to illustrate why this band has such a large and dedicated following of fans. The long-awaited 11 track album builds on Itch’s reputation for producing songs filled with chunky, clashing guitar, bass and percussion riffs perfectly complimented with Mike Milner’s gut-wrenching raw vocals.

The opening track “Big.Clever” perfectly set off this frankly awesome album by weaving well known idioms into the heartfelt lyrics to perfectly express the underlying seething anger of the song. Lines such as “fight your way out of a paper bag/ you’re not so big and clever” coupled with Milner’s raw vocals and the disjointed instrumental riffs make for an entirely original and heartfelt introduction to the album.

Another standout track for me is “The Bombshell”. With its jarring mix of guitar-driven, unrefined riffs and soothing repetitive vocals, “one slip and they’ll all come running/in for the kill, in for the kill/stood there as thick as thieves/your own mouth, your own mouth”. These inconspicuous lyrics, a feature in most of Itch’s songs, allow many interpretations for the songs and give the album a more mysterious and elusive quality.

The last track on the album, “This Place Is Full Of Dinosaurs…” is the only one to mention the intriguing title of the album and is a track which could melt the iciest of demeanours with a single guitar accompanied with lines like, “I’ve got illusions of grandeur from a one trick pony/It stood the test of time/ Have I done the honourable thing”.

What sets Itch apart is the small, quirky effects they add to their songs, the background noise of people talking or the electro effects they sometimes incorporate into the intros of their tracks. Another intriguing thing about this band is that they have the ability to mesh together so many perfectly caught real emotions that anyone who listens to this album can completely relate to its lyrics and songs. And with song titles like “This Place Is Full Of Dinosaurs So I Waited For The Next Big Bang And Two Came At Once” and “At The End Of The Day It’s Night” it is clear that the band clearly have a unique wit and way with words and I am definitely already looking forward to their next release!

ARTICLE BY: SOPHIE HYLAND

BBC 6 Music

Tom Robinson played ‘This Place Is Full Of Dinosaurs So I Waited For The Next Big Bang And Two Came At Once’ on his show today! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tomrobinson/) followed by a wee interview.Many thanks Tom and keep up the fine work.