Nottingham techno-trio TRANKS played a long-awaited first headline gig at Mist Rolling Inn on Derby Road, supported by DJ Big Vern and Tval...
TRANKS are lead singer and drummer Chris Davis, lead guitarist Dave Statin and bass player Chris Moore. I'd seen the boys twice before, once at Rough Trade, where they blew me away with their tight, euphoric set, and I was eager to see them again when they supported Banco De Gaia at The Chapel.
This time around, they're coming off the back of a busy summer, playing at The Waterfront Festival, the D.H. Lawrence Festival and Stardisco; while their latest release, Music Is A Creature featuring Chris Olley, came out in September.
Mist Rolling Inn has a basement room named Gorillas in the Mist, and it's a cracking little venue. I'd been to the microbrewery on Derby Road before, and I knew the compact box room, low ceilings and painstakingly assembled acoustics would work wonders with TRANKS' sound.
As people milled around the bar, I got talking to members of the ever-growing Nottingham Gig Buddies Facebook group, where people post event details and arrange meet-ups at local venues and places further afield.
One member, Di Tunney, promoted this event, and the community spirit was evident as we descended into The Mist with members of other bands who came out to support TRANKS, along with friends, family, and excited gig-goers.
DJ Big Vern set the tone by playing classic acid house, including 808 State's seminal Pacific State and Think About the Future's mix of WFL by The Happy Mondays. Dean Cumming and Tom Wright took to the stage after, as Tval provided some psychedelic electronica —a perfect warm-up for the main act.
TRANKS opened with Armrest, its pounding, industrial techno intro building to an ethereal climax. The stage at Gorillas is tiny and there's only just enough room for the band and their equipment; Armrest was very in your face in this environment.
The band continued with Fly Talk, then my personal favourite, Echo, which has soft, laid-back vocals, "Eros and echo, echo, echo, echo" looping throughout the track, and, again, the band's harder edge comes through in the drums and guitars.
The band played 9 Hours of You live for the first time, before moving on to the pumping Tiny Shards, a song featured on BBC Introducing back in December last year. This one is reminiscent of The Chemical Brothers.
TRANKS cite New Order and Depeche Mode as some of their other influences.
Music is a Creature followed, the single version features Chris Davis's former Six by Seven bandmate, Chris Olley, on vocals. Tonight, Davis "Phil Collinsed" his way through the song, performing vocals and drums.
Rabbit Spirits was the penultimate song before they ended with Need To Get You Out Of My Mind, which offered more layered techno, saw Davis end up in the crowd, and was a fitting end to TRANKS' first headline gig.
TRANKS performed at Mist Rolling Inn on 8th November 2025.
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