The Ordinary Boys returned to the scene of their first shows on Saturday November 7 for a show at the Southampton Joiners for Jack Rocks.
The quartet – from nearby Worthing – first played here at the age of 12 or 13. They fell for the venue instantly and would return often as headliners.
Frontman Preston wasted no time in mentioning his love of the place. “I’ve got lots of memories from The Joiners!” he said, his voice hoarse after a busy spell of gigs.
The driving chords of ‘About Tonight’, the opening track on their new self-titled album came first, quickly followed by ‘Over The Counter Culture’.
After splitting for three years between 2008 and 2011, the new-look Ordinary Boys found Preston flanked by guitarist Louis Jones (who joined in 2013 after abandoning his dreamy Spectrals project), bassist James Gregory and drummer Charlie Stanley.
The band were four dates into a tour in support of their new album, their first since 2006’s ‘How To Get Everything You Wanted In Ten Easy Steps’
Preston – snappy in a polo shirt, Levi’s and leather deck shoes – looked up for it, waving his tattooed arms and pogoing about the stage.
The Ordinary Boys’ new songs were wrought from the same throaty choruses and skank-along guitars as before but without their pent-up small-town aggression.
The crowd went mad for the new stuff, but even madder for the old hits.
