Funquay Town: So Young Live: Westside Cowboy+Basht

Westside Cowboy sound new but seem to come from an old place. Surrounded by 1978 Fender Twin Reverbs, well-thumbed Wem catalogues, a four-track recorder and spools of cassette tape the Manchester four-piece are made up of Aoife Anson O’Connell, James (Jimmy) Bradbury, Paddy Murphy and Reuben Haycocks. With a sound raw as a carpet burn, they ride a thrilling lo-fi boxcar tuned to the melodic precision of Teenage Fanclub and held together with the slacker cool of Pavement. For most bands this would be enough, but not for Westside Cowboy. Just when you think you have them pinned, they career the entire thing into a brick wall of country, trad and early harmony coated, major-key rock’n’roll. They call this process ‘Britainicana’. A portmanteau of the band’s own making to describe Amer- ican culture digested by English people in small towns with almost nothing in the way of cosmopolitan sheen. “Think kids in double denim and Converse eating Greggs vegan sausage rolls.” It’s alarming and exhilarating in equal measures and marks them out as a band perpetually on the verge of losing con- trol but having too good a time to notice the smoke screaming out from under the wheels.

In support of Westside Cowboy, are Dublin’s Basht. A theatrical outfit with a knack for storytelling, their music exists between dystopia and desire, always pushing boundaries. Basht. are truly on the rise, having recently supported the likes of Wunderhorse on tour, bdrmm, Sorry, Goo Goo Dolls and more! 

So Young Live is the promoter arm of So Young Magazine; a fully illustrated, new music, art and culture magazine. Southampton is well rooted in So Young’s foundations, so this takeover is an offering to the local community looking to discover their next favourite band. 

Grab your tickets now