As soon as you read the words ‘from Hanwell’ you know that a band are never going to be the most radical, and certainly won’t be vying the best for rock’n’roll excess infamy.
Having lived there, I can confirm that life experiences in the West London suburb are somewhat staid. Rather than let this crush their inner musical yearnings, Et Tu Bruce have embraced sweet simplicity, releasing their new (slightly tongue in cheek titled?) album Suburban Sunshine.
These guys have been lapping up praise in the US, and on our side of the pond found fans in Amazing Radio, BBC 6 Music, Absolute and XFM, and it’s easy to see why. Radio friendly melodies looped together with hooks straight out of the ‘how to write a pop song’ manual make Et Tu Bruce a pleasant listen. And I mean pleasant in its true definition, not the defamation it has come to insinuate by the cynics among us; i.e. good, not shit.
Lyrics such as ‘never say never again’ (Never Say Trevor Again) and ‘if I could I’d be your man’ (Never Seen You Cry) verge on the cliche, and the sunny chord sequences reveal the influence of a record collection consisting of The Beatles, The Kinks and The Byrds, they’re not the most original of bands, but we don’t always need that. Sometimes a good solid pop album is enough. And Suburban Sunshine is just that. You can buy it now from all the usual outlets.

The first time I walked in to the BSC I thought that I had staggered into the venue of someone’s 80th birthday party. The plastic chairs, cosy carpet and beige walls of the venue are a nostalgic throw back to village gatherings, and I half expected to see a buffet of cocktail sausages, chip sticks and sausage rolls when I walked round the corner.
In terms of bringing music to a new and excited audience, nowhere has done more in Leeds than the BSC, whatever day you go, and whoever is playing, you will always get a very diverse mix of people: young and old, students and locals. True to its name, this is the place to social network, accompanied with a big dollop of indie. With a capacity of 300 people the little Brudenell has a real intimate feel, which conversely is what makes it such a lure for big bands. At the back end of 2007 the Cribs played their three albums over three successive nights (with support coming from Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Kate Nash). Homecoming gigs feel more homey when they seem as though they’re in your living room.
This unique almost domesticity means that upon entering fans and bands have an immediate attachment to the venue. In February of this year homegrown talent Sky Larkin were genuinely overawed to be playing at the Brudenell, having spent their teenage years watching bands there themselves, dreaming of musical stardom. It’s not just hot air – the Brudenell has captured the hearts of those who have danced the night away, drunk the night away, sung the night away, and somewhere underneath that retro carpet its magic remains for all who tread. Long may it continue to be a home for the bubbling creativity in Leeds. And long may we keep it our little secret.