The Grates

Like many who have come before me, I’m here to exclaim that Patience Hodgson is one of the best damn performers ever. The Grates played a special Christmas show at The Annandale last Wednesday and it was amazing. She came out bouncing and didn’t stop bouncing. She jumps around like a crazed fan and genuinely gets into her own music. It’s brilliant. With her having so much fun up on stage, it’s pretty hard not to get involved. Her enthusiasm is infectious. For those who find her voice slightly annoying (I was one of them), I’m telling you, it pales in comparison to the energy of their live show. You’d have to be pretty cynical to watch them and not to have a great big smile on your face.

While Patience undoubtedly steals the show, I was impressed by the band as a whole. They had quite a bit of new material to show off, but rather than shoving it down our throats, they played it sparingly, making sure to give the fans what they wanted. Still, my initial impressions of these new songs are pretty favourable and I can see the next Grates album being just as big as the last. If you’re yet to see The Grates live, I recommend you do it as soon as you can, regardless of how you feel about their music.