The Plymouths + Autons + Bubbledubble + Rusty Sheriff + Maria Szyrtisz & The Pyramids Of Mars - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth.17/03/06

This was being billed as an Electro fest but it has to be said that Electro was being used in the loosest sense of the word. Having said that though, all bands had some kind of electronic thing going on within the music and it certainly was an eclectic gathering of bands.

Opener was the legend that is Maria Szyrtisz & The Pyramids Of Mars, unfortunately I failed to get a shot of him in action as I had only just arrived before he came on stage and he did around four songs before leaving to a massive round of applause. For those that don't know, Maria is the work of one man; he takes to the stage in a vest top, shorts and white trainers with black socks...this man has his own 'scene' and he don't need no one else! His equipment consists of a keyboard and a couple of drums that he operates with pedals and some chimes that he knocks with his knee at appropriate times. Once on a roll the man hits a groove, a kind of sea shanty meets Arabian scales, exotic refrains set the tone for well observed stories. He is that boy that everyone picked on at school, a nervous disposition that just keeps time with the music and this is his way of keeping himself sane. A true genius and an act that everyone should see at least once.

Following Maria is a tough act for anyone, but if there is one man in town big enough for the job it is Rusty Sheriff. Reduced to just one deck tonight and his laptop, the man places his vinyl on a crate, makes sure his beer is close enough to reach and goes for the trigger... This Sheriff has the quickest fingers in Portsmouth, watching him work the vinyl is quite unbelievable and makes you appreciate the skill involved and you can see why his face is such a picture of concentration as he works. Musically he creates thumping beats that threaten to bring The Pyramids down upon us, well placed samples give way to large atmospheric, almost orchestral soundtracks before breaking down into sonic destruction before hitting a beat again. That's not to say you can't dance to it, although he's on too early there are a few people grinding away down by the bar delighting in the funky beats, it's just that the music is laced with danger and a bit of filth that probably comes from his love of bands such as the Melvins and this chaos has filtered through and infected the beats. There is a superb throbbing bass sound that pops into view at one point, the kind of sound that can rattle your teeth and pounds your stomach, a secret weapon no doubt the Sheriff uses to control those who ignore his massive beats. It's dramatic stuff and I hope that next time he gets a later slot so a few more of the late arrivers get to appreciate the sonic dexterity that makes up the Rusty Sheriff.

Just about now we should have been listening to the synth pop of Scarlet Soho but they had to pull out at the last moment which leaves us high and dry with just they DJs to entertain us for what seems like an eternity and whilst they do a grand job as usual you just want the bands to carry on and so eventually we get Bubbledubble who are made up of various people who have been on the Pompey scene for some time. Bubbledubble are creators of heavy dub and they do it very well, but, tonight they just don't fit in with the feel of the event. True, they do create most of their sounds with an overwhelming array of computers and gadgets with the odd live instrument thrown in for good measure so they have that electro element, but music wise it pushes a few to the limit and some less hardened gig goers head for the exit which is a real shame. While they delight in twisting knobs and prodding their computers the sound they create is nothing new, similar stuff could be heard in places like Glastonbury many years ago which is probably the best place for it. Don't get me wrong, I like dub music and often stick on my Revolutionary Dub Warriors material when I want to chill out and Bubbledubble create similar sounds but it just doesn't fit in well tonight and time just seems to drift away; you get the feeling that they could have played all night and indeed, they were very reluctant to leave the stage and just wanted to do another short number which would probably have stretched to another half an hour!

Next up are Autons, Portsmouths own radio bothering electro rock n rollers and they soon spark the crowd back into life. With new single Snakes being played by the likes of Steve Lamacq and Rob Da Bank purely because they like it and are not having their arms twisted by big companies, indicates that good things could be just round the corner and tonight's set confirms it. They have come along way since I last caught them, they seem to have magnified all their good points a thousand times over. They are positively brimming with electric and energy, the tunes have taken on new improved twists and turns, beats have got bigger, the guitars crash and burn with even more passion and David Auton looks more and more like he should be gracing the covers of select magazines. One can't help but fall in love with them, Tony dancing around his keyboard like an over excited kid at Christmas, pouting like there is no tomorrow while on the other flank Leon creates a storm of punked up guitar crashes that wrap themselves around the electro beats while David is every part the Ice Major, cool, calm and collected with suit and tie, his voice sounding as great as ever. It has to be said that Snakes is probably the highlight of the set, a
taught beast of a number with no flab, just all out power that glides and cuts through the night; but the rest of the set is close behind, each track crackling with fun and big hooks. We really should be hearing more about these boys soon.

Having so many bands in one night seems to take its toll as a fair few leave before the final band The Plymouths, who let's face have, don't have the most attractive name and it really doesn't fit in with what they are about. With a name like that I tend to think of Sarah Records from years ago and twee indie bands not a band who are trying to produce electronic indie rock. The Plymouths (who are from Bournemouth funnily enough) sound like Duran Duran playing The Killers which isn't quite as bad as it sounds, they have a knack for producing hook laden songs that squelch along on a synth wave bolstered by a throbbing bass sound and some big guitars but you just get the feeling that you've seen it all before. It is quite enjoyable but you find it hard to see where they are going to go with it and they don't exactly look like a bunch of teenagers which will go against them as it looks like they are jumping The Killers bandwagon. But at the end of the night they are a decent band who will no doubt be enjoyed by those that like that slightly 80s sounding new wave/romantic feel with added guitars, but if you are looking for something a little more original then best pass them by and keep searching.