Hooton Tennis Club @ Invisible Wind Factory, 9 Dec

2016 may have been an absolute shithouse of a year for the majority of the planet’s population, but Wirral-based indie-rockers Hooton Tennis Club have had a decidedly better 12 months than the rest of us. Having played a steady stream of support slots and festival dates for the first half of the year, October saw the release of Hooton Tennis Club’s second studio album Big Box of Chocolates, which was followed up by a mammoth UK and European Tour.

It seems fitting then, that they celebrate their spectacular year with a homecoming gig at Liverpool’s most inconspicuous venue, the Invisible Wind Factory. With superb support on the night from headwear fanatics Psycho Comedy and the colossal force that is Pink Kink, from the outset the night is primed to be an evening of semi-epic proportions.

With a well-rehearsed set consisting mostly of tracks from their latest album, the quietly confident band kick off proceedings with Growing Concerns, to a warm reception from a home crowd. Particular highlights however, include barmy singalong track O Man, Won’t You Melt Me and the delightfully groovy Bootcut Jimmy the G, which both cause the audience to nod their noggins in unison like a sea of indie bobble-heads.

Hooton Tennis Club have everything you could possibly want from an indie band – annoyingly catchy riffs infused with sardonic lyrics and melodies that make your ears grin. What really sets this band apart from their contemporaries, however, is the way in which the individual personality of each member shines through in their live performance. The effortlessly harmonious vocals of Ryan Murphy and James Madden prove that they are two sides of the same coin, drummer Harry Chalmers is a force to be reckoned with as he drives the band forward, and bassist Callum McFadden is infectiously energetic, with his questionable moves at the centre of the band’s live performance. A sneaky feeling tells us that Hooton Tennis Club won’t be playing small venues for much longer – catch this band while you still can.