As if in tune with Kilkenny’s recent treble-winning antics, local promoters Problems At The Pancake House bring aptly named UK post-rockers Cats and Cats and Cats to Cleere’s this Saturday.
The Cats, as they shall be known from here on in, were formed in early 2005 when friends Ben (vocals, guitar ) and Tom (bass, backing vocals ) met Doug (drums ) at the University of Hertfordshire.
A debut EP, ‘Victorialand’, picked up some positive reviews and the attention of the UK experimental rock underground.
Never ones to grow musically stagnant, the Cats soon expanded their line-up and invited Adam (guitar ) and Eve (violin ) into their paradise to record the ‘Sweet Drunk Everyone’ mini-album in 2006.
The new personnel led to a new direction, with a weighting towards a fuller, more ambitious post-rock sound and extensive touring followed, the band sharing stages with their heroes Youthmovies, 65 Days of Static, Foals and Blood Red Shoes, performing twice at 2007’s Glastonbury Festival.
The Cats soon began to attract label interest and, after releasing a split songle for Wolf Party Records, decided their next record would be with Big Scary Monster Records, who had been consistently releasing innovative and inspiring records for years.
It seemed an obvious choice and a split EP with Oxford’s This Town Needs Guns was a storming success, receiving rave reviews from the likes of NME, Rock Sound and Drowned In Sound.
Huw Stephens invited both bands to record a Radio 1 session, aired in October last year, and the Cats will release a limited edition vinyl on Irish label The Richter Collective this month.
The Cats play Cleere’s on Saturday, October 4, with support from local acts Moses Moorhouse and Indie Kids Can’t Dance. Doors at 9pm and admission €5.
