Microdosing West-Mid Emo: Gambling With Dogs

Words: Ollie Hopewell

Photography: Lewis Pettitt

In the mid-1990s there was something exciting happening just across the pond that was

niche, nerdy, and original; perpetuated by the equally nerdy users of the early internet, online music boards and chatrooms rumbled with quiet anticipation as a new genre of Emo was developing in an extremely tight-knit community who were crying out for someone to be their voice. The scene was never destined to be big, but it certainly felt important to those early pioneers who would attend gigs in dwindling numbers before the rejuvenation of the genre in the 2010s and again in the 2020s. The American Midwest was just the start, and as the music travelled to Europe the genre became defined by its sound rather than its location, eventually finding the perfect region to develop, grow, and improve from the new-age fans back in the States. Midwest Emo may have originated in Middle America, but it was perfected in Middle England in the West-Mid Emo scene.

While Midwest Emo was a genre created by music nerds for those who appreciate the

complexity of its sound, usually other music nerds, Chin don’t exactly fit firmly within the

confines of the subgenre, nor any genre for that matter, but they’re certainly a DIY band for

the geeks who obsess over pedalboards and timescales. I’m getting ahead of myself.

The first time I saw Chin, sometime back in July 2024, they were very much in their infancy

and were very open about it, but there was something more than promise from the off;

following plenty of late-night practice sessions, gigging at every given chance, and a love of the game that has only deepened in the last 18-months, I’d argue that Chin sound as

accomplished and tight as anyone on the current circuit.

Opening with Midlife, it was immediately evident that the vocal stylings of frontman, Jim

Mycock, blended perfectly to the calculated chaos of rhythms from Liam Banks’ drumming. Add brothers, Jim and Rob Pover, into the mix, on bass and lead guitar respectively, and

you’re getting into a sound reminiscent of Eddie Vedder singing over Hot Fuss era Killers - not to mention the tricky and winding guitar breaks that would feel as at home in a Darkness power ballad as they would in Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs For The Deaf. You can see why Chin describe themselves as a 'Power Garage Pop Rock' group.

It's pretty hard to nail the Stoke four-piece down to just one genre, as they righteously skip

from Dad Rock to Post-Brit Pop, and that’s before you get to the perfect storm of genre

fluidity that is Root. From tracks about being rescued from a boat to songs named after

obscure dinosaurs, you’d be remiss to let Chin slide off your radar as they gear up to release music in the near future.

There’s a reoccurring in-joke in the Hardcore and Midwest Emo scenes to chuck seemingly

random audio samples from pop culture into your live sets, and I think Vienna’s decision to

open with Moe Szyslak’s "Here's the 411, folks" is up there with the best.

Musically somewhere between Car Seat Headrest and Small Brown Bike, the Birmingham-based quartet have created a sound that nonchalantly yo-yos from easy listening to tracks that would feel right at home on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. To pay a genuine yet awkwardly worded compliment, I’d say that listening to Vienna is like having a muscle spasm; one minute you’re sitting comfortably to debut track I hate falling, but I’d fall anywhere with you, and the next you’re violently two-stepping to Half Past Rad.

The rhythm section of Joes Griffiths and Lewis, on bass and drums respectively, give the

band a solid foundation, something which gives lead guitarist Will Collins plenty of room for

experimentation and creative freedom. Adding the vocals of frontman Ben Jones gives the

whole affair tints of The Drums and rounds out a sound that is diverse as it is

comprehensive.

Ending their first ever gig in Stoke with new release Quiet Season, an introspective track that marks the band’s third anniversary, Vienna offer the ideal soundtrack to injuring yourself at a skatepark or taking a gloomy walk in late Autumn, and a Hot Wheels themed sticker baring their name now sits proudly on the back of my laptop as I write this.

To many in polite society, it is deemed appropriate to either applaud and cheer musicians as they take to the stage or to stand quietly and watch as they get ready to perform; after all, these artists are here to entertain us, and our applause and cheers are seen as the “done thing” to show a mutual appreciation for the arts. However, what if I told you that there is actually a secret third option. Enter stage left Gambling With Dogs to a chorus of dog barks, howling, and wolf whistles.

Dear reader, please don’t think that this is an audience acting to discourage the performers,

as these actions are actually met with cheers of encouragement from the four-piece as they

jump into debut single Take Me Back To Hammerfore. The barking quickly subsides and

makes way for a gentle two-step sway that ripples across the crowd as the Dogs play with a

fun and upbeat energy despite frontman, Brody Gibson, being up to his eyeballs on cold and flu tablets.

There used to be a nervous energy surrounding Gambling With Dogs, but nowadays they

play with confidence and purpose; the booming snares and kicks of drummer Alex Wardle

crash around the crowd like falling artillery, while brothers Brennan and Conor Toplass

urgently fire off angular guitar riffs and driving licks of bass like gunfire whistling overhead.

The Casselsesque backdrop channels the raucous Pop-Punk energy of Busted and shifts

the tone closer to the likes of American Football, with Gibson channelling his inner Mike

Kinsella. From their very own claims of being five-a-side Ronaldos, Gambling With Dogs’ music is as industrious and creative as the Potteries which half of its members call home; be it the current Robins Revolution at the Bet365 or the Stokealona of old, Gambling With Dogs come to the stage with an immensely strong core, attack riffs with frightening pace, play with a subtle yet complex flair, and have the perfect little-and-large partnership on the wings, though we’re swapping Marco Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri for brothers Connor and Brennan Toplass respectively. I’ll allow Brody Gibson to choose which Stoke City Barclaysman he wants to be, but I’d argue that Alex Wardle’s position at the back and

immense presence would make him akin to the likes of Asmir Begović.

Gambling With Dogs keep DIY at the core of everything that they do; be it producing and

mastering their own music from the aptly named Dog House, or creating hand-printed t-

shirts, totes, and assorted second-hand clothing baring the band’s name, the lads have

always wanted to create within their own means and they have never looked nor sounded

better than now having made these tenants gospel. Hearing fan favourites Hey Presto

Asbesto and 5-a-Side live was an experience to be sure, and you can now enjoy their debut

EP: A Place That You Left Haunted. There’s plenty more in the works too, with unreleased

tracks Tracey/No, You Hang Up! and Microdosing Milk on their way in the near future.

Tireless effort and plenty of work has proven that every dog has his day and I’m not barking

up the wrong tree in telling you that these lads have created something that is as exciting as

it is special.