Live Review: Ogikubo Station / Don Blake / Fraser Murderburger / Tea Leaf – Gullivers, Manchester, UK, 28th June 2019

Tonight sees the summer finally make its appearance in the UK, the beer gardens are hammered and sunburnt torsos are on display across Manchester, but we’re foregoing the sunshine and are headed into the city’s Northern Quarter to catch Ogikubo Station on the latest stop on their debut UK tour, one that follows in the wake of the release of their recent single “Okinawan Love Songs” and last years full length “We Can Pretend Like“. Sadly Mike Park is not touring with the band due to health issues but the band has continued in his absence and are joined tonight by Don Blake, Fraser Murderburger and Tea Leaf to conplete an impressive and diverse line up that is gracing the dark, cramped and extremely sweaty live space in Gullivers.

My expectations of Manchester being overcrowded were wildly exceeded and the British habit of binge drinking the minute the sun comes out ensures we pick our way through the chaotic crowded streets and finally arrive at Gullivers just in time to catch Tea Leaf. When not fronting Hora Douse he is a solo act who delivers an opening set of heartfelt acoustic emo tinged pop punk that is well received by those who have ventured inside early. When Tea Leaf hits his stride he seems to be entirely in his own blissed out state as he sways gently with a thousand yard stare that pierces far beyond the walls of Gullivers. For his final number we are given the choice of “the sad song or the super sad song”, then deciding to do neither and opts for a new song that is  “bleak with hope at the end” before finally delivering the promised “super sad song”.

Fraser Murderburger brings a complete contrast to the opening act, still a solo acoustic set but this is a stripped down version of The Murderburgers that whets the appetite nicely for their appearance at the Rebellion Festival in just over a months time, one which beer, chaos and injuries allowing I fully intend to catch. Fraser Murderburger captures the essence of The Murderburgers despite the lack of decibels. He is engaging and completely random between songs and as The Murderburgers have announced they are going on indefinite hiatus at the end of year you really should catch Fraser Murderburger or the band whilst you still can.

Next is up is the almost local heroes Don Blake who bring a touch with of amplified pop punk to wake up the overheated Mancunian crowd, instantly infectious and far more frantic live than their studio recordings Don Blake encapsulate everything that you love about pop punk, and discard the the things that you don’t, into their brief support slot. There is no pause for breath between tracks, as the last chord fades out a four count on the cymbal heralds the next driven blast of pop punk. Don Blake play a style of punk that has fallen out of favour in many quarters as it’s become increasingly watered down, but when you encounter the neat product it reminds you why you fell in love with it in the first place.

Ogikubo Station return to the acoustic theme that has dominated tonight’s bill, the duo deliver blissful dual vocals that are the perfect accompaniment for a summers evening spent drinking double gin and tonics, which is handy as that’s exactly what I’m doing. This is Ogikubo Station’s first visit to Manchester, hopefully it won’t be their last as it can’t be moshpits and screaming hardcore all the time, as my photographer Dean Unsworth put it, sometimes it’s nice to have a mellow one, it also meant people weren’t bouncing off him during the show. There is a distinctly Simon & Garfunkel feel to the harmonised vocals, although the subject matter and the duo’s informal and relaxed manner on stage is quite distinct to that well known duo, especially as they deliver an impromptu scary clown song that was generated from a tune up.

Tonight they are candid, Mike Park’s absence caused Ogikubo Station to radically overhaul their set with bassist and keyboard player both shifting to acoustic guitar and delivering impressively pitch perfect vocals that would melt the hardest of hearts. As subtle as Ogikubo Station are they also possess as bigger political bite as their amplified counterparts, you just don’t see the punch coming. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to have loved tonight’s show, it’s also worth mentioning that to the best of my knowledge Ogikubo Station are only the second band I’ve seen live that have delivered a kazoo solo live.

Tonight was a show that was perfect for a summers evening as Manchester slowly baked and fair chunk of the population got sunburnt. Each act brought something different to the bill, from Tea Leaf’s introspective opening, the random and eccentric set from Fraser Murderburger, Don Blake’s pop punk wake up call and of course the lush melodies and harmonys of Ogikubo Station, I don’t what made tonight special, whether it was the impromptu feel of the show, the informal and friendly atmosphere or the fact that every one on the bill appeared to enjoying the show as much as the crowd. It’s rare that I encounter a series of acoustic sets outside of the almost acoustic stage at the Rebellion Festival, but tonight was a welcome change of pace, one that I hope to repeat if they return to our shores.

Live photography is by Dean Unsworth, his Instagram account is located here and you can click on any of Dean’s photos to view a slide show of the images

Ogikubo Station can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Don Blake‘s website can be found here and their Bandcamp is here

The Murderburgers website can be found here and their Bandcamp is here

Tea Leaf‘s Bandcamp can be found here