Softlad Promotions presents

The Seminals with support from Souza and Casino Club at

EBGBs, Liverpool 

Saturday, 18th February 2023.

We’re in Liverpool tonight,  by the vibrant and architecturally stunning Georgian quarter, at  EBGBs.  It’s a pleasant walk from Lime Street station, filled with vibrant energy from busy streets, the fragrant cuisine drifting out from countless bars, cafes and eateries. EBGBs is a great and well-loved venue, one of the iconic basement clubs Liverpool is famous for. It’s a brilliant place to catch a live band, always a great atmosphere, you’re up close, with no barrier, and intimate but enough space for the full crowd experience – and boy are we in for some crowd wilds tonight!

Tonight’s headliner, The Seminals, have a reputation which precedes them. Known for their insurgence of energy, lively performance style and explosive sounds, what’s not to love? Bonus –tonight’s support are pretty wild too, equal in measures of sounds and energy – it’s Souza and Casino Club – so one banging lineup is promised tonight, right here in the ‘sound city’.

First Support – Souza 

Adam Rogers – lead vocal/bass, Ben Rogers – guitar, Jack Bassington – guitar, Harry Ball – drums

All the way from Stoke on Trent is our first support tonight, Souza. What an opener! In one utter crescendo of shimmering cymbals, descending into a pounding bass drum with fast-paced beats, crashing indie guitars and funky, driving bass lines, this set has well and truly begun. The vocal is very light, easy and free sounding and flows well. Epic intros are the thing here, lots of texture, intricate sounds building, somewhat anthemic. Think Oasis but with the funkiness of the Stone Roses but then hints of David Bowie in the guitar riffs, then even moments that remind me of the Who with the drumming. 

The sound style ranges from indie rock, glam rock and good old rock n roll, even somewhat of a 60s basement band style. Such a mash up but it works superbly. Instrumentals are quite magical and you do find yourself lost in them, wrapped up in a musical daydream, then the vocal brings you back, gently and steadily driving the feels. Everyone’s singing along. The band have brought a good following; it’s busy and it’s bouncing; with lots of chanting “ Souza, Souza, Souza.” The energy here tonight is massive. Good stage presence, the entire band looks at home up there and interact genuinely with the audience. Brilliant live band, on point. This set has flown by and went down incredibly well. Thanks, guys, Suffice it to say your first Liverpool gig whipped up a storm!

Setlist: Under my feet, Out to play, Comeback, Morning calling, Back roads, Rule them all, Devil in a dress

(Casino Club_Credit: Lucy Bell)

Second Support – Casino Club

Marcus Grimshaw – vocal/guitar, Mike Grimshaw – bass, Ste Grimshaw – drums, Alex Porter – guitar

I’ve been told great things about this 4 piece Wigan-based band so we’re really up for this next set, and it turns out that it’s everything I’d been told and more! Literally, the energy can be felt building as the band take their places on stage, we can just feel it’s gonna be a good ‘un’. Another explosive start, it’s low down, it’s dirty, it’s pure rock n roll, but with such refinement and prowess. Instantly I’m getting early Arctic Monkey feels and the Reytons. This band play their hearts (and souls) out! Such a focused and precise sound, a delight for the senses – the feels are right up there with the sound and one very tight performance. 

As the set progresses it becomes reminiscent of the K’s. Another mixture of inspiration and sounds which again works brilliantly. The new release ‘”Moving on” has real melodic vocals, shining guitars, earworm hooks and riffs, it’s well worth checking out. Think soaring guitars, and uplifting sounds, but with deep, intensely defined bass lines…we can feel coming up through our feet into our entire bodies. The northern accent comes through into the vocal – I say this so much, but it really creates that indie/Manchester feel. The vocal is clear, loud and concise, with a real grate coming through at times, especially during ‘Ride the storm’; it’s musical joy for the ears. Long instrumentals with guitars that remind me of an early U2. Drumming is exquisite, like rolling thunder in the distance, slowly gathering force, and then with a bang, the pounding beats rain down on us. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this set, impossible to keep still. Yet another Wigan wonder band! Real rock n roll, LOVE this band, brilliant from beginning to end.

Setlist: Can you hear me?, Take me away, Moving on, Sit down (cover), Ride the storm, The fear, Lose control

Headline – The Seminals  

Bobby Muscart – vocals, Owen Egan – lead guitar, Charlie Fogg – bass, Arron Flynn – drums

The set opens in a flash of brilliance, in indie rock meets ‘mad for it’ style, swaggering bass lines,  guitars, beats being fired out, a real breezy but with attitude vocal.  Charismatic front man, Bobby, sporting a bucket hat, sways, arms spread wide, Messiah-like, behind his mic. Somebody just detonated musical TNT in here, and it’s gone to a whole other level of madness!  The feels are WILD, crazed, frenzied, and sounds shift and change – so many genres –  it varies from song to song, from fairly heavy to anthemic, to dance feeling. It’s like Limp Bizkit meets Reef with some Happy Mondays thrown in. Full throttle, fast-paced, guitars scream, drumming is off the scale, bass lines career through the venue, The crowd surges forward, and the temperature has increased rapidly! Our powerful force of a frontman continues to wow; he wraps his musical arms around us as a crowd, encompassing all in this infectious energy, while the sound penetrates deep into every one of us. It’s hypnotic. Screams, roars, angry punk-like cries, then back to mellow and mesmerising, then raspiness – we have it all within this set! 

(The Seminals_Credit: Lucy Bell)

By now our entire venue is engulfed, the moshpit is alive and spreading to every corner. Often off stage and in amongst the thick of it, Bobby interacts and gets it ramped up yet higher, bouncing, pogoing, and moshing with the crowd eagerly participating. It’s all going off and it’s a fan- bloody-tastic. Beer is raining down over us constantly (a sure sign a gig is a good one). This is the spirit of the Seminals, it’s just what they bring every time, they ignite something inside of us and we just can’t help but get swept up in it all. It’s utterly commanding. 

The band as a whole go all out, not still for a second, using every inch of stage, Bobby is now lying flat on his back on stage whilst singing, It’s real showmanship.  A set that seemingly flew by in fast forward is over, but my God it left its mark! Tattered set lists litter the stage and beer puddles cover the venue floor – what just happened here won’t be forgotten. Stand out gig this one, my God, do the Seminals bring it! And an enthusiastic crowd to boot. If you’re looking for wilds, mind-blowing performance, original and varied, incredible sounds and that wow factor, then please go see the Seminals. I shall certainly be going back for more (and more….and more).

Setlist: State of Mind, Some Seeds, #10 Dream, Better Days, Alice, Morning Light, King of Nothing, All on you, Blue Courts, Snapdragon, Gimme More

Review by Janet Harding 

Photography by Lucy Bell