Judging by the stunned looks on the faces of people leaving the venue before proceedings even kicked off, the Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes regulars aren’t used to their after-work activities being interrupted by a hundred or so tattooed music fans. But The Ghost of a Thousand couldn’t have picked a better or more unusual venue for the London leg of their free album launch shows. With its vintage styling and relaxed atmosphere, Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes turned out to be a perfect party setting and what better excuse for a party than the release of their fantastic new album, ‘New Hopes, New Demonstrations’?
Lively as ever, support act Outcry Collective provided a warm up act to really get the ball rolling, so to speak. Their set was a surreal mix of bowling, spontaneous beach ball games and mosh pits, leaving their spectators hungry for more. [7]
After a few technical delays, The Ghost of a Thousand finally took to the stage in front of an eager audience, while the promise of a ‘new-in-addition-to-the-old’ set received a greatly appreciated response from the crowd.
As they kicked into their opening song, chaos ensued with stage monitors no longer being onstage and instead being replaced with disorientated members of the crowd. Further into their set, ‘Up To You’ was introduced with a request from frontman, Tom Lacey, to see “a circle pit start at the exact same time a strike is bowled!” Though despite disconnected microphones and at some points, a semi-demolished drum kit, TGOAT delivered a flawless set demonstrating both their power and finesse.Their set was rounded off with the classic ‘Black Art Number One’ which saw both Lacey and guitarist Andy Blyth hanging upside down from ceiling pipes, singing over a sea of tangled crowdsurfers and outstretched arms… Rock and bowl indeed! [9]
Words: Kayleigh-Jayne Bull
Photos: Nathan Dreger