The layout of The Trades Club offers an experience rarely found in other venues. The small size of the live room forces its resident musicians to push through the crowd to the stage.
These minuscule moments of awe and hushed remarks litter the night as I stand waiting for TTSSFU to begin. Singer and guitarist Tasmin Stephens glides through the audience in an ill-fitting, flowing nightgown. A sort of glow follows suit and she manifests as a wistful apparition in an otherwise moody Monday night crowd.
I’ve found through my gigging experience that if you’re a truly good band you can get people to trudge out on a cold weekday night to come see you. TTSSFU definitely holds such power: the Trades is packed.
The buzz around her has ramped up over the last year. Manchester born, Tasmin previously played guitar for post-punk band Duvet and began releasing music under the name TTSSFU with her first single I Hope You Die. Since then, her stardom has blossomed. With the EP Blown and single Upstairs, released last year, she’s had a run of impressive shows and projects, including SXSW and a feature in Hideous Record’s ‘A Hideous Collective’ in support of independent venues.
The boys in her band, or ‘The Fuckers’, are dressed in stark matching suits. There is something about a band in uniform that really floats my boat – it’s possibly the hint that they can all actually agree on something. Tasmin stands centre-stage, eyes covered in a reflective silver shimmer and a strip of duct-tape covering her chest to prevent an unwarranted flashing mid-show.
The foreboding chug of Sick marches through the room first. There is a distinctly grunge rawness to it that grows and grows until it simply cannot help itself and explodes into a distortion-fuelled ending. This is a pattern often seen through TTSSFU’s music – there’s a confident toying with intensity.
Call U Back continues with the chord-centred dream feel that trademarks the band. To gather the full scale of the music you need to hear it live. When performed in front of you, the emotional significance of each track becomes clear. Often singing about longing and affection, Tasmin is certainly not afraid of a love song.
A short diversion is taken while guitarist Harrison goes on a journey to acquire a capo – his mission aided by support act Wyatt. After a certain reluctance – Tasmin admits to not liking the song – Cat Piss Junkie emerges, one of the night’s crowd-pleasers. It has the drive to energise the room despite being just short of two minutes long and it’s significantly more playful than the rest of the EP.
Studio 54 creeps in with its warm bass and breathy storytelling. Inspired by Andy Warhol and Jed Johnson’s relationship, its pain seeps through in the narrative. The constancy of the line ‘Hey Andy’ dances through the room.
The night is nearing a close and Tasmin, caught up in a musical frenzy, runs through the crowd. She swerves past people, not stopping to interact like other acts with a similar shtick, and then diverts to dump a pint over her head.
It’s with the closer I Hope You Die that the mood turns to fury. Tasmin screams into the mic and thrashes about in a rich, red light. The passion live offers a feast for the senses. There’s a true punk spirit in the conciseness of the set – 45 minutes and off. No encore in sight, which I’m glad for.
The moment that has really stuck with me is the signature ending, which feels so fitting for TTSSFU’s image. Two ear-splitting screeches are delivered straight into the mic and then she goes running through the crowd and out the door – never to be seen again.
Words: Poppy Cortese
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