Clap your hands and say yeah! : Queens Social, 6/10/11

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! were one of the first hyped bands from the now established world of the 'blog'. The American's gained exposure for their quirky debut album, but once the hype left, it felt like the band did too. Six years on, the band are set to release their third album, Hysterical, but first, a night out at a working men's club in Sheffield on a damp Tuesday, lovely. Queens Social Club had the tacky deco that you would hope to find at such a place, with disco lights and cheap beer, the only difference to any other night at the venue was the clientele, who were more about skinny jeans than tracky bottoms. Before the New Yorkers, the room was already full for new local heroes, Hey Sholay.

When Arctic Monkeys broke into the charts a spot-light was put on their home city but the only thing to be found were poor imitations. Once the dust had settled, the city's musicians became creative again, the electro scene gushed with diversity, leaving guitars behind. Hey Sholay have brought them back to Sheffield but left synthesizer in, keeping things a little different.
Hey Sholay took to stage with cheers from their ever-growing fan-base and backed by a typically tacky wall-drop. The thirty-minute set saw the group play half a dozen tracks that included their recent single, Dreamboat, up-lifting and catchy, the adoring public could not keep their feet still. The quartet are fronted with an intense looking vocalist who spits every word with emotion and meaning while his fellow musicians deliver with a sense of passion and heart. When the Yorkshire group are good, they are very good, it was the closing number, The Bears, The Clocks, The Bees that really showed their value and promise, where compassion and talent glowed as they made an atmospheric track become an anthem. Screams for an encore followed, but the band left, leaving the on-lookers begging.
They didn't have long to beg for more music though, the disco lights were back on as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah strolled on-stage to a delighted audience, who have been waiting five years since their last visit. The set featured material from their forthcoming record but it was the familiar sounds from their first two albums that got the crowd going, who were enthusiastic to dance, especially for a cold Tuesday evening. It might be a downscaled tour compared to their previous visit but the fans are still there, as are the songs as is the bands enthusiasm and from the sounds of it, the new album will be worth a listen.

By Matt Pinder