It’s always sad when any band makes the decision to bring things to an end. It’s also a little harder to accept when you can’t help but feel that it’s a little bit too soon. However, Hindsights have their reasons for calling time on their career, and ours is not to question why. As bittersweet as this packed show at The Boston Music Room is tonight, it is not an evening for mourning, but one for celebration. Yes, it sad that we are losing one of the most Inspiring young bands our fair isle has produced, but at least we can give them the proper send-off they deserve.
Before we say our goodbyes, its down to Cheltenham quartet Bad News to kick off tonight’s proceedings. With a sound redolent of 90’s indie nostalgia, and a wealth of song writing talent beyond their years, they are a delight to watch. Their more recent material shows the growth they have made in a relatively short time, with ‘Wide Awake’, and ‘Rachel’ being instantly engaging. Whether or not Hindsights are passing the torch to Bad News remains to be seen, as they walk different musical paths, but with promising young bands like this, our scene feels more alive than ever.
Next up are Landscapes, who provide a far more abrasive listen. They sound big, and are full of energy on stage. They are no strangers to the live arena, and have been on tour almost constantly for the last year honing their ability. That said, while there is definitely a following of theirs in the room, they somewhat feel a little flat tonight. It could be that there hasn’t been any new material from the band in some time, or perhaps it’s just down to the fact that tonight is all about Hindsights. Landscapes are more than capable of commanding crowds of this size, so perhaps next time will be a different story.
The moment Hindsights take to the stage, the crowd surges forward, ready to hang on front man Benio Baumgart’s every word. And they do just that. From the opening lines of ‘Everything Inside Me Echoed’, the visibly moved vocalist barely needs to touch the microphone, as the choir of voices in the room drowns him out. From here, the energy in the room from both crowd and band alike is nonstop. Through ‘Cold Walls’ and ‘Pensive’, the stage is a springboard for countless flailing bodies, and even while avoiding them, the band remain tight and unfazed.
Their last single – and what would prove to be the final Hindsights song – ‘Wither’ shows how much they moved on from a scrappy punk band, to on the cusp being of a full-on alternative rock force. How that would have turned out, we will never know, but it is still wonderful to enjoy one last time. Of course, when the quintet do dig deep into their past, going back to tracks from their demo, and 2012 EP ‘Weathered’, its easy to see both why become adored, and achieved all they did in moderately short lifespan. ‘Grey’ from ‘The Thoughts That Weight Me Down’ is as unforgettable as ever, and the glorious ‘Sore’ – one of the highlights of last years excellent ‘Cold Walls/Cloudy Eyes’, is even more moving given tonight’s circumstances.
So with that, Hindsights are no more. It is a shame to see them go, as they are every bit as deserving of bigger things – if not more – than some of their peers, but tonight was certainly a memorable end for them. With the adoration they received at their farewell show, they will not be forgotten about, and will no doubt mean something to a lot of people for a long time to come.
GLEN BUSHELL