A cold Monday night in the middle of January is a hell of a setting to showcase music. Purple Underground, a weekly event hosted in Purple Turtle Reading, stepped up to the challenge and ensured the night was one to remember, and I felt an obligation to write about the standout of the night for me.

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Opening the night, the punk/rock band The Hiker took stage and played an incredibly genuine, old-school punk set. After a long period struggling to get the members to complete the lineup, tonight they performed with high musicianship and strong energy. With half the band dressed to rock, and the other half wearing rugby jumpers and hoodies, there was clearly no dress code. But this is punk. And that was the beauty of The Hiker. Unlike their counterpart for the evening, they were a true nostalgia-inducing punk band. There’s no rules. No Dress code. Just punk/rock.

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The music itself was highly rehearsed, with a consistent sound throughout the set. Those familiar with The Hiker’s recorded music would recognise the core of the songs, however the band come across much heavier when performing live. The drums, despite being wrapped up in a Superdry hoodie (Seriously - have you ever seen a drummer wear a hoodie in an indoor gig? Let alone a Superdry hoodie??), were a stable backbone throughout the set. The new bassist played impressively, grooving throughout and keeping up with the longer-tenured members. Occasionally, there would be small moments where the instruments separated briefly, but overall they came across at a high standard.

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The only critique I could offer would be relating to dynamics. I think the most masterful performers tend to go on a journey, with ups and downs, and this is where The Hiker could find their next step. Almost every song (possibly all songs in the set) utilises the same structure, and stays at the same level throughout. I enjoyed the sound, but the further the set went the greater the need grew for a relief from the 100% level. Sometimes less is more - and frequently Ian (the lead singer) would introduce a song saying this one is slower, or more laid back - only to play a song that felt identical dynamically.

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Speaking to the lead singer, Ian, he talked us through how music gained such prevalence in his life. Championing the importance of mental health, the ups and much more importantly, downs, have been stabilised through his love of music. His passion radiates through not only his performance, but his presence within a venue. Outside of The Hiker, he supports other people struggling with mental health issues, by teaching them guitar and passing on the passion.

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Despite a clear need for some dynamic variety within the songs, The Hiker were a great example of what it takes to be a band. They played with a genuine passion. Throughout the night the importance of  music, and the therapeutic process of putting on a show was abundantly clear. Throughout my years, I’ve seen hundreds of bands perform live. Some are chasing fame while others focus on commerciality - with the end result always being a contrived live set more focused on making political points instead of delivering consumable music. However the sets that I love are the ones that remind me why I love music. Sets that let the importance of music resonate throughout the room. 

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On this particular cold, Monday evening there were plenty of bands playing contrived, “edgy” political nonsense, but I’m bloody glad I got to see The Hiker doing what they love and am excited to see how they continue to evolve.

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