The Coathangers – Drips
The Cookie, Leicester
27th April 2019
Fighting Boredom favourites The Coathangers played The Cookie in Leicester last weekend after releasing their ace new album The Devil You Know. So of course we went, read what we thought below.
It’s raining, we are surrounded by the beautiful people of Leicester as they proceed on their Saturday night out and we are looking for a cash machine. The day started with a two and a half hour drive and will end with a parking ticket. But it’s all worth it to get to see the Coathangers again.
The cookie is a long room with the merch on the bar at the back. Drips are the first band on, locals from what I can gather.
They are floaty and sunny with big splashes of guitar and then a massive dose of shoegazing, flowing and spiraling. They have a high, clear vocal and it’s that very British Indie sound, that has traditionally been nurtured with heartache, angst and an extensive badge and seven inch singe collection. They give the night a gentle start echoing teenage hurt and anxiety. They move on to a more upbeat sound, faster and widdling, all following the groove and they finish with an epic indie song. They are for the most part proper wet indie, to qualify, that’s not an insult, I like it.The Coathangers are glamorous as hell, resplendent in gold lame dresses, pointed shoulder-pads and hoods, they look like the best dressed girl gang in the world. They start with the last song on The Devil You Know, the emotional, quiet, drugged out haze of Lithium. It’s not what I expect 
but it’s perfect. Then the punk attitude of Watch Your Back, they have an edge and it’s sharp, the music is honed to the bone. The contrast between the vocals from the drummer and guitarist are what makes the new album and the show, one almost twee and delicate and the other gravelly and rough, which makes the harmonies kick arse. They are so alive, so right here and right now that just watching them is exhilarating. When they slip into nearly hard core punk the harmonies shake you away from the music that pounds you in the gut and then the whole thing gives you a sweaty, noisy hug.
Captain’s Dead is better than the record. It’s infectious and wild. they go back to a slow, creeping groove and the screamed vocal fighting the growls makes it. I’d like to know which Coathangers vocal is your favourite? They up the ante and add speed, grit and fire, Bimbo is twee LOUD twee and Nosebleed Weekend is frankly terrifying, menacing, hard as nails girl gang fodder. It’s the perfect Coathangers song, ‘It’s alright, yeah it’s okay’.. they’re going to kill you. They carry on the coldness and menace with Stranger Danger, their most unsettling song, stalking in the dark.
Most of the songs sparkle with punk spit and polish, harmonies squeeze the songs along and the vocalist’s competition for your ears make you smile. It’s a beautiful sound, rounded and made whole with the new record, they have stepped up their game from last year. It’s glamorous, sexy and pure fun. You sing the chorus’s even when you don’t know the songs, you dance, sway and wiggle. Then you shout along to Fuck the NRA as they ask you to, It’s a straightforward Coathangers song with a straightforward unambiguous message. It’s killing me that I can’t go down the front, I want to dance but can’t. They play most of The Devil You Know, cementing their belief that it’s the peak of their output and where they are coming from now. They swap instruments, changing the dynamic and the sound, and the jerky, poppy punk fueled goodness just keeps attacking you.
They finish with squeeky Tikki which sounds like a hyperactive toddler with a squeeky toy, with guitars and drums, what more could you need. What a gig. It’s still raining when we leave but I’m grinning.
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Drips have a Facebook page.
The Coathangers website is thecoathangers.com, they have a Bandcamp page are on Facebook and Tweet as @TheCoathangers.
All photos, driving and Parking Tickets by Martin Ward
All words by Adrian Bloxham.
They are floaty and sunny with big splashes of guitar and then a massive dose of shoegazing, flowing and spiraling. They have a high, clear vocal and it’s that very British Indie sound, that has traditionally been nurtured with heartache, angst and an extensive badge and seven inch singe collection. They give the night a gentle start echoing teenage hurt and anxiety. 
but it’s perfect. Then the punk attitude of Watch Your Back, they have an edge and it’s sharp, the music is honed to the bone. The contrast between the vocals from the drummer and guitarist are what makes the new album and the show, one almost twee and delicate and the other gravelly and rough, which makes the harmonies kick arse. They are so alive, so right here and right now that just watching them is exhilarating. When they slip into nearly hard core punk the harmonies shake you away from the music that pounds you in the gut and then the whole thing gives you a sweaty, noisy hug. 
