The day I saw Gans, the wind was biting and the rain was indecisive, so to hide for a while in the sanctuary under the station was a relief. There, the Radio Six crowd were hanging around, grabbing drinks and waiting to go through the black curtains. They, too, must have heard the talk surrounding this band and decided to come down. Hailing from the West Midlands, Gans is made up of Tom Rhodes and Euan Woodman. Their sound incorporates heavy guitar riffs, danceable synths, and intense drums; the kind of music that you hope would create a great live atmosphere.
Opening for them was a band called Hungry, a four-piece originally from Cambridge, now residing in Manchester. It was their first performance on their first-ever tour, and they killed it. I was surprised by how different they sounded live compared to their recorded songs. The idiosyncratic indie was now grittier and more energetic. Jacob Peck, the frontman, had a list of what the tracks were about, which he recited between the songs, and it goes as follows.
1. It’s about love ‘cause we love each other
2. It’s about where we are from (An audience member yelled out “Hungary?” A response which was locked and loaded before the sentence was even finished).
3. It’s about dogs (He encouraged the audience to howl, and the more he recited it, the louder they got.)
4. It’s about dresses
5. It’s about dancing
6. It’s about eating yourself
Gans went on half an hour later. The music’s effect on the crowd was immediate, with the collective swaying their bodies and nodding along. Rhodes mainly played the bass while Woodman drummed, and both of them shared vocal duties. It is unusual for the drummer to capture the audience’s full attention as they are often tucked away, their movement restricted by the kit, but Woodman was magnetic. A highlight was in ‘Talk Too Much’ where Woodman parted the crowd like Moses with the Red Sea. He yelled, “I used to believe in Jesus, I used to believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him). I used to believe in Guru Nanak, I used to believe in Abraham. I used to believe in the pebble beach. I used to believe in the Royal Pavilion…if that’s what it’s called.”
Rhodes and Woodman often demanded that the crowd open up a pit and that the lacklustre people at the back do more. Their most popular songs, ‘Dirty Cowboy’ and ‘I Think I Like You’, were when the energy was the highest, but even the more obscure songs, such as ‘Nightwalking’, are well worth listening to. On ‘Business’, they encouraged the audience to spell the title, and in turn, the audience reconsidered how good they were at spelling. They haven’t even released their debut album yet, which is scheduled for 19 September, and should undoubtedly be on your radar.
Some bands you need to see live, and Gans is one of them. After all, one thing you can say about Gans is that they are good for the soul.
Another article you may enjoy: https://thebadgeronline.com/2025/08/kymara-at-casablanca-22nd-august-2025/
