Review | Coach Party at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea: 'Making a good wallow sound like fun'

At least this one doesn’t make you go: ‘Ick.’

They arrive on stage to Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing, and drummer Guy Page is sporting a Slipknot T-shirt – both, however are red herrings.

The four-piece’s stock in trade is the rockier end of the indie spectrum, with more than a few nods back to ’90s alternative-rock.

While there is plenty of angst in their lyrics, they are also shot through with a deeply enjoyable vein of pitch-black humour – such as in Space, written from the point of view of someone who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer from the object of their affections.

Or on the pay-off from Bleach: ‘I think about dying by myself, But I'm not suicidal, Just a little underwhelmed,’ – you’ll search long and hard for a neater summation of millennial ennui. But bass-playing frontwoman Jess Eastwood delivers it with a wry smile on her face.

If you are to look purely at the songtitles on the setlist – one section runs: Crying Makes Me Tired, Everybody Hates Me, I’m Sad, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a grim slog. However these songs are all wrapped up in catchy choruses and infectious riffs courtesy of guitarists Steph Norris and Joe Perry. Coach Party make a good wallow sound like fun.

Penultimate track of the hour-long set is the 6Music playlisted FLAG (Feel Like a Girl), and it’s a soaring high-point. I can easily imagine a festival crowd howling along with Jess: ‘Wanna hurt you bad, Just like how you hurt me.’ It’s an anthem-in-waiting, and it’s played straight – there’s no knowing sideways glance here – this is one angry beast.

This gig was originally scheduled to be in next door’s smaller Edge of The Wedge, and although the main room isn’t full tonight, it’s a decent crowd – the decision to step up to the larger space is justified.

The band are back in Portsmouth on Saturday’s bill of Victorious – I am looking forward to hearing these songs again, set loose on a bigger stage.