Review: Yuck

February 2, 2012
Sam Briggs

Artist: Yuck
Date: 16th November
Venue: Leadmill, Sheffield
***

“Who are you going to see? Yuck?” My gran doesn’t get it. From their blatant “borrowing” from the cream of various ’90s alternative scenes on their fuzz laden self-titled debut to the regulation double denim outfits, Yuck’s name typifies the attitude some might see in them – tongue firmly in cheek. When interviewing them on their last visit to York, our chat was based mainly around average cheese-based comedy and watching drummer Jonny play Space Invaders. If you ever need to lure a bear out of a cave – use Camembert. The ’90s revival seems in full swing, as opening band Gross Magic manage to filter the glam era through Nirvana’s grungey haze and the following Fanzine’s syrupy jams. With the simple hand-scrawled logo plastered across the back of the stage, Yuck arrive to satisfy the Pavement t-shirt clad masses.
As lacking as the band may appear in the originality department, the tracks from the album played tonight defy any derivative jibes. ‘Get Away’ is euphoric, the melodies of ‘Georgia’ compelling, and the subtlety of ‘Suck’ worthy of any Red House Painters comparisons. The consistency of their output is reflected in the album-length disc of b-sides released in the latter half of last year, of which ‘Milkshake’ aired tonight is the highlight, boding well for Yuck’s life expectancy.
Unfortunately, the possible self indulgence that the band enter into as the set draws to a close fails to engage the audience’s attention. The anthemic dirge of ‘Rubber’ and less saccharine melodies of ‘The Base of a Dream is Empty’ lack the melodic pull of the set’s earlier attraction.

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