'Pure joy to my ears': The Tubs finally arrive at The Smokehouse

Last Wednesday, Echobelly took over The Baths venue in a sold-out show in Ipswich. Led by charismatic vocalist Sonya Madan and guitarist Glenn Johansson, the band played to a fully packed venue that buzzed with nostalgia and excitement, capturing the magic that made them a staple of the 90s Britpop era.

Echobelly rose to fame after Morrissey handpicked them to open for his 1994 tour, earning several Top 40 hits and racking up gold and platinum albums. 

After a five-year break, their 2009 reunion reignited that spark, and they’ve been drawing loyal crowds ever since. 

There was a definite focus on their first two albums, Everyone’s Got One and On.

The performance of Dark Therapy was a standout for me. With Madan’s urging lyricism and Johansson’s pulsing guitar strings, the song built into an atmospheric swell, eventually giving way to a haunting cascade of riffs and a three-song encore that left their crowd in awe.

Watching them perform felt like stepping back into the heart of the Britpop era. The band’s connection with the audience was undeniable. With so many Britpop reunions on the rise, Echobelly’s show was a standout—a glorious reminder of why they deserved their place in the spotlight.

Friday night saw The Tubs, an indie/ alt rock group, play The Smokehouse with support from Eves Delight, who provided a soft and dreamy start to the night, preluding the darker, more frenetic energy that would soon follow. Eve’s Delight’s ethereal vocals and hazy guitar layers created a whimsical atmosphere that enveloped the room. 

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Frontman Owen Williams revealed that “most of the songs were written in the midst of a breakdown” following the end of a long-term relationship. That emotional rawness was palpable throughout the set. The tubs may sound melodically crisp, yet beneath the surface lies a turbulent undercurrent revealed upon analysis of William’s lyrics. Brutal lyricism, manic harmonies, and Williams’ unhinged vocals formed a tension between the polished riffs, masking the chaos of mental health struggles beneath deceptive melodies.

Williams also explained in the same interview that the suicide of his mother has influenced his songwriting and formed an explanation for a large part of his breakdown. It was my first time seeing or hearing The Tubs, going into this gig with no preexisting knowledge of their sounds left me unprepared for the emotionally charged intensity of their performance.

Round the Bend stood out as a key example of Williams’ struggle. Its lyrics such as “here I go/ another manic episode” grapple with narcissism, existential dread, and the compulsive distractions of OCD. 

The Tubs’ performance was a powerful exploration of personal turmoil, masterfully disguised with infectious rhythms that their audience were rocking to until set end.

After speaking to Joe Bailey, a long-term fan of the Tubs and head honcho of Brighten the Corners, he remarked, "one of the best things about running music venues is when you're able to put on artists you love or are really excited about”. The Smokehouse has been trying to get The Tubs since the release of their debut album Dead Meat in 2023.

Joe continued, “Finally, the stars aligned to bring them to Ipswich to the sold-out Smokehouse. They played a great set of tight, indie jangle-pop, with each song becoming more of an earworm than the previous one. To hear Sniveller, Two Person Love alongside new classics such as Freak Mode and Chain Reaction was pure joy to my ears. We look forward to bringing them back to Ipswich again”.

Brighten the Corners

Brighten the Corners runs a diverse live music programme, training and education opportunities across three venues, and an annual multi-venue festival in Ipswich, Suffolk.