thistle./Little Grandad/Split the Ticket @ Zerox, Newcastle

30/1/26

Northampton trio thistle. released their debut EP it's nice to see you, stranger in July of 2025 as well as a handful of singles in the years prior. My Year End List summary of the EP goes a little like this: Shoegaze-y and ultimately hazey, thistle. brandish a slab of fizzy delights sure to resonate with the bittersweet fuzz inside your soul. The gig would occur as part of Independent Venue Week - IVW. Support would come from Newcastle's Split the Ticket and London's Little Grandad. 

Live shows at Zerox - The Shooting Gallery - fall in line with something of a gig occurring inside an art installation. The low-ceilinged and squiggly-lined walls of the venue make it a Basquiatesque dungeon. And with nowhere for the sound to go other than straight into your ears, it's often a rather loud affair. If your tinnitus, or potential for, tends to knock about more than you'd wish, ear plugs/protection is essential. 

Split the Ticket - 19:50

Lead by frontman Oisin on his one and only, three-piece Split the Ticket open on the most bittersweet of guitar parts. Drummer Ellis, cool with his sunglasses, indoors, resembles Jamie XX. He's positioned in front of a paint splattered wall under the IVW banner, and wears a Knats t-shirt (a Newcastle based band whose upcoming studio album is to be produced by black midi's Geordie Greep - RIP Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin). Bassist Finn, in his Russian hat, indoors, bops about as he plays and Split the Ticket see their first track through. 

"This one's called 'Fingernails'". 

Finn delivers driving basslines in the louder moments and whoozy, gangly ones in the quieter. As Oisin changes his guitar in between songs Finn plays a few grooves. It audibly rattles the venue.

“This next one's called 'Losing It'". 

Ellis on drums is active - constantly shifting between rhythms/patterns. Ellis and Finn somewhat jam to make way for the next track. It builds and builds before fleshing and filling out. Zerox is nicely filled; there's plenty of people, also nicely with plenty of space. The heat in the room is visually represented by the sweat shining on the drummer's face. 

"These are gonna be our last two tunes". 

The pace is taken down slightly. The lads all catch each other’s glance and share a laugh during the song. They work well as a unit - shifting in-and-out of segments, moments. They keep their material on the move. It's melancholic music with grizzly undertones. There's a bite to the reserved beauty. 

"Thank you. We are Split the Ticket. Enjoy your night."

Members of Split the Ticket and Little Grandad share a few words on stage as they get gig ready. 

Little Grandad - 20:35

The house music dips and we're off. Little Grandad are a four-piece consisting of Jack and Harry Lower, Ned Ashcroft and James Brennan - they position themselves as three up front and one at the back. Bassist Jack, yet again, wears a Russian hat - they must have had a word backstage - this time with the earmuff bits buttoned/sewn/held up, so as to sit on top his head. He doubles up as lead singer of sorts. All four join on vocals from time-to-time and take lead role. The band are fairly Slacker-centric; something of a laidback-active, if that makes sense. There's Fleet Foxes in there somewhere, as well as a tinge of Supergrass. 

Ned, to the left of the three up front, pulls a trumpet out of seemingly nowhere; he plays with eyes shut. 

"Hello Newcastle. We're very happy to be here. It's our first time in Newcastle. You've got very nice bridges. But you know that already." 

Ned goes from electric guitar to trumpet to acoustic guitar within a two song span. 

'I’ve been sleepwalkin' in my life, 

I’ve been sleepwalkin' drifting through time.'

The fourth track comes with a much more reminiscent tone and slow-moving intricate guitarwork. But it builds towards breakthrough. The trumpet brings with it a breezy feel - soulful and windswept. Harry, in the middle of the three, takes lead. A much more atmospheric and moody air grips Zerox. Scathing sounds swirl around as the track closes out. The waves crash to shore, so to speak. Sudden silence and a "thank you". 

"That's not a very Friday night one." acknowledges Little Grandad.

With the next track, the band pull themselves out of the sonic hole that they got themselves in. The pace is picked up, then slowed down to see the set out. The four hug on stage. 

Little Grandad will be back supporting Cork band Cardinals at The Grove on the 14th of March. 

thistle. - 21:30

thistle. consist of Lewis on drums, Judwyn on bass and are fronted by Cameron on vocals and guitar. Bassist Judwyn has a Seattle look to him in his flannel shirt and fringe long enough to hide behind. Drummer Lewis has an air of Alabama in his dungarees. Guitarist Cameron is very Kentucky, Slintesque. 

The gig begins as chirp-like distortion breaks out. As well as huge, huge guitars. We're starting at the end as thistle. set off with "wishing coin", the closing track on their debut EP. 

"Hello everyone, we're thistle."

Some bass issues are had. It turns out that the bass wasn't working throughout the first track. "The bassline was really good on that one, I promise." says Judwyn.

"Chat amongst yourselves for two seconds. I don't have that many stories to be honest." The band set a rather relaxed tone with their on-stage verbiage. The show takes a much Grungier turn once the bass is involved. A much ‘fuller’ sound is pushed through the venue. The band perform the title track to their EP "Its nice to see you, stranger". 

Cameron has a real bite to his voice - a painful twist. The band push the ear-splitting sonics to the limit at times. 

The quieter moments hit hard on "cobble/mud".

'Clouds turn grey, but I still think you're the prettiest.'

Haunting, high-pitched whales cut through the gristle like warnings form the past and future - as if the present is still to find its feet. Cameron plays like he's exorcising demons - the guitar gets thrown around all the while maintaining a state of control. Lewis is stern, vicious. His hi-hats have a slicing quality to them and the snares are as snappy as you'd wish. Judwyn hides behind his fringe.

The bag on my back is levitating from the weight of sound being thrust out. A cabinet door behind frontman Cameron keeps on opening behind him. He politely closes it time-and-time again. The band's performance is as sharp as their material - straight in no messing. A quick breather is had as strange, chugging, mechanic sounds repeat over the system. 

A lone mosher breaks out during thistle.'s most recent single "tied." Some of the songs are short, but so intense that they kind of have to be to sustain and maintain them. 

"Split the Ticket actually attended the show in Leeds last night. Round of applause for that." says Cameron after thanking Little Grandad for their support for the past four nights of their tour.  

thistle. close on the scorcher that is "lomochrome".  

Cameron places the guitar between his legs as if to squeeze as much distortion out of it as possible. 

Long live Independent Venue Week.