Live Review: Tio Rico – ‘Shit Show Pony’ Album Launch

Yesterday saw the release of Tio Rico‘s impressive and long overdue debut album “Shit Show Pony“, the band’s debut full length was originally designed to be titled “Suck It“, the title was changed at the last minute for reasons best known to the three members of Tio Rico. Today sees the album launched in style and played in full at the unassuming venue of The Blossoms, a location infamous due to a mediocre pop band taking their moniker from the venue, but tonight will see something very different that it will hopefully go someway to restoring the credibility of a venue that has a long history of supporting grass roots music. But before Tio Rico take the stage we get Milhouse Van Halen, the acoustic project and alter ego of Tio Rico‘s drummer, Ash Partridge, and Bristol’s THC Dreams warming up the crowd that are packed into the upstairs of The Blossoms.

After the entertainment of watching Tio Rico’s Scott Bradley try, and spectacularly fail, to inflate a six foot inflatable unicorn it’s time for Milhouse Van Halen, who is approaching the mid way point of his series of twelve EP’s that are surfacing monthly through Horn And Hoof Records. Milhouse Van Halen kicks off the “Shit Show Pony” album launch with a set of acoustic songs that are “short like me”, live they sound grungier and heavier than his recorded output, and to my ears it’s all better for it.  My personal favourite to date from his releases ‘Unemployment’ gets a welcome outing, whilst much of the subject matter is dark there is a sense of optimism and hope that permeates his set, as he points out “not everyone I know has died”. Each song blasts past in a blur as he rattles through his steadily increasing back catalogue that offers snapshots of his life and experiences to date.

In complete contrast to the opening set Bristol’s THC Dreams up the decibels with a genre spanning set that takes in pop punk, shoegaze, math rock, indie, post hardcore and post punk that’s all wrapped up into an intense package that rattles your fillings. Their hyperactive heavyweight enthusiasm is decidedly infectious as their veer between soaring melodic indie punk and devastating post hardcore breakdowns to the bewilderment of some of those who had been lulled into a sense of false security by Milhouse Van Halen’s opening acoustic set. Somewhat unsurprisingly given their name they dedicate their final song to “smoking your problems away”, although the sound is less amnesia haze and more of an intense intravenous hit of post everything punk.

A constant parade of blue lights flashing lights eerily illuminates The Blossoms ahead of Tio Rico officially launching their impressive short and sweet debut full length “Shit Show Pony”. With no fanfare they launch into a set that delivers on all fronts, prior to “Shit Show Pony” the grunge and punk were disparate elements of their sound, now the two are seamlessly blended together. Two of their earlier songs are delivered as a warm up before “Shit Show Pony” erupts into the paddock for its live debut. Like the bands before them this remains an informal evening with the line between bands and crowd blurred as Tio Rico interact with those crammed into the upstairs of The Blossoms.

If you’re going to launch your debut album then this really is how you should do it, “Shit Show Pony” was delivered with no frills, a brief introduction and trading insults with the crowd before they launch into the first cut from the album. Fuzzed out bass blends with the aggressive guitar sound and indicates that Tio Rico have found their sound, as well as establishing a stable line up after leaving a trail of spent drummers in their wake. The crowd and the band both steadily up the energy levels across the ten tracks from the album until their set ends with an utterly frenzied “Shit Talker” that sees chaotic scenes in the compact venue, a perfect ending to an evening that saw “Shit Show Pony” released into the wild.  

Nights like this are at the core of any local scene and need to be supported, given that their was no scene whatsoever when I lived on the southern side of Manchester, it’s good to see that the grass roots punk scene has spread to every corner of the county thanks to the support of venues of The Blossoms and DIY labels like Horn And Hoof Records. Hopefully the release of “Shit Show Pony” will see Tio Rico taking a canter across the UK as this is a band that have truly hit their stride and are on the home straight. Tonight’s intimate launch show was free, friendly, inclusive, chaotic, loud and sweaty, what more could you possibly want from a show, or even from a “Shit Show Pony“.

“Shit Show Pony” can now can be streamed and purchased via Horn And Hoof Records here.

You can read The Punk Site review of “Shit Show Pony” here