The Good Time Charlies + The Sportiques + Room 99 + The Missfits + Big Squirrel - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. 28/12/05.

There is never much to do in that post Christmas pre new year week so having the chance to see five bands for a fiver is the perfect pick me up and it is a real treat to be greeted by the sound of some vinyl being spun, the crackles and hisses setting up the atmosphere nicely for Big Squirrel and their lo-fi garage attack. The Squirrel number two, just a drum kit and a rather battered acoustic for company but fuck me they make a decent racket out of it. I had them down as garage freaks but tonight with a decent sound it becomes clear that there is more going on in these songs than meets the ear at first listen, it's like they have melted down The Pixies, RFTC etc and short circuited them and fed them through a cheap radio then turned the volume up full. A wonderful dry humour is aired tonight with some amusing banter passing between the Squirrels but come the songs again, we are back to the business of eating up some good honest rock n roll music.

The Missfits are a shambolic affair, a mix n match collection of old Pompey faces who should know better fronted by three female vocalists. This is classic 60s garage rock n soul with Shangri-las vocals, it is fun and light hearted and works well against the sparkly background that brings to mind working mens clubs and meat raffles. The band really are rather charming and it makes for a pleasant listen.

I am sure Room 99 have been put on in the middle just to give us oldies a kick up the backside, their youthful energy directed into aggressive 100mph punk rock that fortunately seems to have both feet planted firmly in British punk rock rather than the American sugar coated pop punk that is so popular at the moment. Plenty of shouting and fast riffs are aired as this brash band do their best to alienate the slightly older audience but they go down well and would easily be able to hold their own on a punk bill.

While The Sportiques may not be the most original band around, they are good at what they do which is straight ahead garage rock. I've never seen them do a bad gig and whilst you get no surprises you know you are going to be able to go and watch them, tap your foot and try to pick out The Green Hornets cover version that is a standard in the set which leads nicely on to The Good Time Charlies who feature a couple of members form the legend that is The Green Hornets (as people who witnessed them keep telling me just to rub it in because I never had that pleasure!). Another band who never seem to do a bad show, their experience showing as they slip into a set of well crafted rock n roll tunes that flow like a good red wine and improve with age. If I'm not mistaken they are now on to their third album so there is plenty of material to draw on, each tune a rockin' trundle of throbbing bass, clattering drums, well drilled guitars and some decent vocal melodies hung onto some meaty hooks. Fellow Turbojugend Portsmouth member Nish, is the larger than life ring master prowling the centre of the stage pounding on his bass and talking with the audience while Steve and Craig garage up the oily riffs either side and Andy nails the beats to the floor. They inspire some terrific drunken dancing down the front and it's no wonder as they really are a fine rock band, pure and simple; nothing flash or over the top needed here as the songs speak for themselves. A perfect band to see at the last gig of the year, rounds it off nicely.