Vanity Project Extra Live

Wills & The Willing + The Counterfeits - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth.16/06/06.

2006-06-19T16:02:00.000+01:00

The Counterfeits are in the middle of a long trek taking in such delights as The Frog before they head back to their native south-west home; tonight they give a good account of themselves to a small but vocal audience who clearly appreciate the effort and the quality of the songs. Best described as a power trio, the urge is to say they sound a little like The Jam jostling for stage space with Nirvana before The Who nip up with some power chords. These boys clearly have a love for their history as they slip in some blues to the mix and some impressive slide guitar but manage to keep it sounding modern and urgent; indeed they demonstrate an abundance of energy both in performance and in the tunes themselves which come across as heavy yet melodic and full of decent hooks. Well worth making the effort to see if they hit these parts again or you see them advertised for a pub near you, especially if you like good, guitar heavy tunes.

I like the look of Wills & The Willing before they even get on the stage, equipment squashed onto the small stage, big screen erected at the back and god knows where all the band are going to fit on the stage...but you just get that feeling as they come on that you are going to witness something good. In fairness, I knew nothing about them before the gig (my internet search for just Will & The Wiling proved fruitless...that S makes all the difference on Wills!) so I had no idea what to expect. Wolfie on the door of the Frog had informed me they were top notch in soundcheck and that I was in for a treat and they didn't disappoint. The band is fronted by Ian Willis, who comes across as a Cockney wide boy with a voice that he could have nicked from Ian Dury himself; he lets rip with a flow of gritty words best described as street poetry as he talks/raps/sings us around some fantastic stories; to counteract his gruff approach you get the more angelic voice of co-vocalist Gerri Cunningham who floats in and out of the songs as needed and gives a nice balance both vocally and visually. Musically the sound is impressive, a mix of rock n roll, funk and damn fine tunes from a talented band who all have various links to the music business in one form or another; over there is Jason Knight who used to be in Reef and behind the guitar is Jesse Wood, son of Ronnie Wood, so they know their stuff and they do it in some style too. Behind them runs video footage including a surreal piece that seems to be Ian Wills tarted up in a wedding dress and sitting on a sofa next to a chap who looks suspiciously like that Reg Hollis bloke from The Bill (was that his name? I have some distant recollection but I don't watch too much TV!) but it all adds to the fun and the general charisma that oozes from the stage. Of course, as I'm standing there taking it in I do think to myself, what the hell are they playing here for? It's a small crowd and with only two out of town bands on what is essentially a local band night, it gives the feeling of being at something special, one of those gigs that you will be able to look back on and think, I saw them down The Frog, because mark my words, Wills & The Willing are a special band and they fully deserve to be selling out at least The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth if not bigger venues. While the music is good and funky there is no escaping that the star of the show is Ian Wills, his down to earth attitude and poetic words are mesmerizing and he gives off the air of being someone who has been there, done it and probably ended up down the Police station because he did so, but has lived to tell the tale which just adds to the earthiness of this project and makes you want to listen. Easily the best band to have played The Frog this year, shame on you if you didn't come down to investigate, just don't do it again. If you see Wills & The Willing on the gig list, get in there down the front and have a good old knees up and make sure you listen to the words because you won't find anyone who can tell a story like Ian Wills can.

The Mescalitas + Star Collector + The Good Time Charlies + The Family + Alex Creesh - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 09/06/06.

2006-06-15T11:25:00.000+01:00

Not sure what Alex Creesh is doing on the busy bill tonight, but his acoustic mellowness is lost on a lively crowd looking to party and most of his set is carried away on a wave of chatter before hitting my ears so we'll move on quickly to The Family who sound like the early Rolling Stones playing The Beatles. If Oasis had leaned towards the Stones rather than the Fab Four they would probably have sounded like this, indie blues with that Gallagher swagger and some decent tunes that are raw with a good beat. On a personal level it does little for me as it sounds like too many other bands but there is no doubt that they are good at what they do and they go down well with the slightly drunker elements in the crowd who enjoy a good singalong and dancing session.

The Good Time Charlies ooze quality tonight, no bullshit, just good quality rock n roll that's as tight as an emo ladyboys jeans. The Charlies have somehow managed to get to their 4th album so tonight sees them airing new material alongside some old classics and its chunky riff after riff of good time tunes with Brother Nish conducting affairs centre stage with his flying bass and rock god poses while to his right Craig is the epitome of cool knocking out sexy riffs while fellow guitarist Steve does battle with a limp mic stand and provides classic one liners. Up the back is Andy, who quite frankly scares the shit out of me, a more solid drummer you'll never find and a menacing look that many would kill for. Combined they make classic rock n roll that draws on many influences, a hint of punk, a whiff of the sixties with those tasty vocal melodies that come over as a souped-up Beach Boys, some Turbonegro deathpunk, a few pop hooks and you have hard hitting songs that drip with sing-a-long choruses. Tonight they are sounding tight and full of burning energy, the old and new songs go down a storm and even headliners The Mescalitas are down the front getting down to the rock n roll groove; the good thing about the Charlies is that even though you know they are following a well worn rock n roll path, they still come out sounding like The Charlies rather than a mix of their influences which is no mean feat and tonight shows they are still a valuable asset to the Pompey scene...long live the Charlies and Rock N Roll.

Canadians Star Collector are over for some UK dates and are friends of The Charlies hence their appearance tonight. They are a slightly more polished band in terms of sound taking their cue from that very British power pop kind of sound that nods towards the like of The Who with big songs, big melodies and big power riffs. Indeed, live they are a cracking band full of energy and they seem genuinely pleased that we should be giving them our attention on this hot evening and it kind of endears you to them and I'm more than happy to stand and watch them run through a catchy set. In personal terms it's all a bit nice and shiny for me, I like my rock n roll with a rough edge, a hint of danger and something to really get your teeth into; Star Collector are very good at what they do, there is no doubt about that, if you want big shiny power rock/pop then look no further, you'll lap them and their big tunes up but for me they just lack that dirty element.

Finally we arrive at the much hyped part of the night, The Mescalitas and their little rock n roll circus. Three high-heeled clad ladies with enough attitude to take on the whole of Guildhall Walk in one go and a drunken rabble already worshipping the very ground they walk on...so are they any good? Well, there's no doubt they look good, Gem Jones up there dark eyes smoldering and a pout that could kill at 100 yards strapped into a guitar and letting rip with an impressive voice while ice cool Mel melts hearts with those throbbing bass lines and Gabi Woo over there on the drums has one of those don't mess with me faces; musically they sound pretty decent knocking out fizzing indie garage rock, not as hard as The Good Time Charlies or as polished as Star Collector, but somewhere inbetween...perhaps if The Charlies were female and had added some Shangri-Las into the mix. It would be easy to say they've arrived on the scene on the back of bands like Baby Shambles but they are better than that and while I can think of a good number of bands playing decent rock n roll that are far better in the tune department and probably won't get the exposure that The Mescalitas are going to get eventually, I hold out hope that they will turn into a pretty decent band. At the moment I'm in two minds, I love the tunes on the website and parts of the gig I loved but you get the feeling that all that rock n roll nonsense that overshadows certain bands could happen here which would be a shame as the seeds are there and it depends which way they turn. I feel I need to see them again which is a good sign, there certainly is a good amount of energy flowing around the band and most people seemed impressed by the performance and I'll be keeping an eye on them to se how the sounds develop in the future and let's face it, you can't beat a bit of sexy high-heeled rock n roll as Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction proclaimed once upon a time in 'High Heel Heaven'!

Halls Of Hecate - Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 06/06/06.

2006-06-14T15:55:00.000+01:00

A satanic seaside special to celebrate the 06/06/06, hosted by those nice dark souls over at Night Of Pan who for a while ran some fetish club nights here in Pompey before upping sticks for London. For this special night they are back with a gig/disco type thing that brings a few old faces out to play, though the fetish element is sadly lacking tonight!

There are three bands to enjoy tonight, the first being $10 Hookers who look like cheap little sluts and rough as hell, but in fairness, it is Dev and Matt from tonight's headliners Little London with friend Brian on bass, dressed in drag for a short and sweet set of raw rock n roll cover versions. They look and sound under rehearsed and no doubt they probably are as they probably got pissed instead. At times it descends into laughter, cheap sexual jokes and just plain old chaos. But it is fun and Matt sat up the back there with his bunches, bashing away on his drums looks surprisingly attractive dressed as a lady which can't be said of Dev whose nipples keep falling out and the deadpan Brian who is a comic genius. They try to end with a version of the Divinyls' 'I Touch Myself' though they fail to reach a climax as it all falls apart in spectacular fashion. Instead we are left with Brian treating us to a bass solo version of 'The Theme From M.A.S.H.', short and sweet, messy and chaotic just like sex with a $10 hooker.

Kolkarma have travelled down from London to make their live debut and take to the stage with youthful energy and a sack full of guitar solos and metal riffs. Their Myspace page lists bands such as SOAD, Tool, Opeth and Deftones as an influence and that's pretty much the kind of area they are working in; classic metal that is hard hitting, forever changing direction and certainly not afraid to stick in a number of screaming guitar solos. The material they play is solid and energetic but lacking in personality at the moment as is their stage manner, but they are decent musicians and I am confident that they will mould new tunes that start to sound like Kolkarma rather than a number of other bands ploughing a similar furrow.

With a weekend stint at the Isle Of Wight festival looming, tonight is an opportunity for Little London to cut loose and enjoy themselves. Veterans of NOP events, they look at home on the stage, unfazed by the rather gothic crowd; in true LL style they grab us by the balls, squeeze hard and make us all a little moist with their potent rock n roll. You should all know the score by now as I've reviewed them often enough...low slung, dirty, balls out rock n roll. Nice and easy, no fuss, straight in there, do the job and get back to the Jack Daniels. In terms of LL gigs it's a little messy, I've seen them hit harder, I've heard them clearer and I've seen Dev less drunk (& more drunk!) but they never fail to impress. As individuals they are top notch performers, Tom slapping away on his bass while Matt delivers perfect shots on the drums. Fuller, who cannot ever die apparently, whips out crunching riffs while frontman Dev just looks pretty for the ladies and does legs apart rock star poses while wearing cowboy hats and singing about JD, coke and Love Reactions. Great band to end the night on and looks like others have realised too as they destroyed the IOW festival and those nice Nokia people have asked them to play at the Reading Festival...result. Check them out if you are round that way come August.

With DJs Hell & Khem rounding off the night with lovely dark and heavy sounds we are treated to one last performance that is more in line with NOP events; a semi-clad lady covered in paint jumps up on the bar, climbs across tables cuts her clothes off with a knife and proceeds to dance around with not much on and engages in a bit of girl on girl action while being whipped and spanked. It's what we expect from a NOP event and is treated as normal behaviour as we watch, laugh and hope we don't get attacked with the sharp looking knife. A fine end to the evening & a pleasure to have the Night Of Pan people back in Portsmouth for a night of dark delights.

Trash Money + Buswell + Lee Cooper & The Outsiders - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 02/06/06.

2006-06-13T13:26:00.000+01:00

Another sauna at Messclean as the heat draws in and the sun belts down; just the three bands to entertain us tonight and all is not well in the sound department as some big rumbling sound randomly attacks Lee Cooper & The Outsiders that gradually frustrates the band more and more, but fair play to them, they battle through but they strike me as the type of band that really need a big perfect sound to capture their true essence. Musically they stray between country twang and dark Nick Cave inspired folk rock and it's a shame that the violin can't be heard more tonight along with the female backing vocals as they would really add something to the mix. I suppose we are talking good old fashioned singer/songwriter material here except backed by a full band, so lyrically the songs have depth and are backed up by well crafted, melodic tunes. They will probably put it down as one to forget, but the quality still shone through.

Swindon based Buswell are an absolute delight, a melodic surprise that deal in epic hooks with sweeps of fiddle and keyboards playing upon the acoustic driven riffs of the frontman who possesses one of those strong but sensitive voices. Buswell have that ability to take big pop sounding melodies but turn them into something with more depth and they really have no interest in jumping on the latest bandwagon or being the hippest band out there; more a case of letting the quality shine through, the keyboards twinkle and the fiddle weave a cheery path through an acoustic sunset that basks in warmth and lush melodies. When done wrong this type of material is dull as ditchwater but when put in the hands of such an infectiously happy and friendly band it comes alive and their energy and joy in the music is clear to anyone in the venue. I admit, when I saw them take to the stage I wasn't expecting to really enjoy it but result to Buswell, they scooped me up with their fine songs and won me over. I look forward to the next time they hit Portsmouth, don't leave it too long chaps.

And on to Trash Money who are nothing like the two previous bands and decide to set us on fire with good old glam trash rock n roll. Fucking brilliant is all I should need to say, the guitars splay into a thousand little stars with every riff, the drums are trashy just as they should be for a band with the word Trash in their name and is that a feint with of an electro undercurrent coming from somewhere? I believe so and it's giving a nice pumping feeling to the tunes and we'd better not forget the vocalists...now down below this review somewhere is one I did for The Beautiful South where I said those two chaps who sing for them are the oddest couple I've seen, but Trash Money have beaten it! Splashing across the front of the stage is one skinny hyperactive Hanoi Rocks t-shirt wearing punk ball of energy that spits forth as if possessed by the very spirit of punk while behind him roams a much larger chap clad in ill fitting jacket and jeans who looks like he's wandered out of a student union and into the wrong pub; he spends the gig prowling the back of the stage adding the odd vocal and every now and then moves to the front to do some split throat roaring before placing his hand back into his jacket pocket and heading back to the back of the stage. It's really quite unnerving and it really shouldn't work but it's a fantastic racket as you would expect from someone who labels themselves Trash Money. Tonight they became one of my new favourite bands, filthy rock n roll the way it should be, not packaged in any way, just pure undiluted trash and it feels good.
If only I had realised at the time,that the guitarist Molly, whom I was having a very pleasant drunken natter with after the gig was the same Molly who had fronted a fine band called LK a few years back (search out the album Graceless on Island Records, quite brilliant) I would have wet myself, it just didn't click until reading the names on the website! So Molly, an honour to have spoken to you and Trash Money I salute your raw, filthy rock n roll, as I said at the start of the review, fucking brilliant and I look forward to next time.

The Beautiful South + Aberfeldy - Guildhall Portsmouth. 28/05/06.

2006-06-06T15:59:00.000+01:00

Another day of doing local crew work and sometimes you kind of think you are not that bothered about seeing a particular band and The Beautiful South fall into that category. I'll admit I've tapped my foot to the odd tune on the TV or radio but beyond that it's not really my kind of thing, so I was planning to come back quite late and just catch the last few numbers before getting back to the job of clearing all the gear away when I noticed the stage running times pinned up and saw the name Aberfeldy as support band. A-ha, I thought to myself, I recognise that name from an EP I reviewed for VP quite a while back, I'll have to come back and check them out. The EP in question was a 4 track 7" put out by Mute/Rough Trade that contained some old Primal Scream/Josef K stuff along with the rather fine track Vegetarian Restaurant by Aberfeldy and I'm sure glad I picked that single up because it would have been a travesty to miss their fine set.

Aberfeldy are a fine looking bunch from Edinburgh made up of the handsome Riley Briggs on vocals/guitars, rock n roll drummer Murray Briggs, Ken McIntosh over on bass, the lovely Sarah McFadyen playing her fiddle/keyboards while doing backing vocals and the equally lovely Ruth Barrie who moves between keyboards either side of the stage and also does angelic backing vocals. They've got the perfect sound for the start of summer, bright melodies, the threeway vocal harmonies...they positively shimmer and sparkle up on the Guildhall stage. Aberfeldy have a big pop heart, with a nod to all things that are jangly, spangly and indie by way of some sexily squelching keyboard action and not forgetting that lovely fiddle that weaves it's way into the mix...must be the time of year for fiddles and violins, I've seen about 4 bands use them in the last couple of weeks; they also allow themselves to hit a heavier groove (I have it on good authority that a couple of these chaps used to cover the mighty Turbonegro in a past life!) but it's always done with one eye on those delightful melodies that drip like honey from the flowering buds of Aberfeldy. They must have some honey jars stored back home that they keep all their melodies in and when they arrive back they just dip their hands in and pull out another. It was well worth coming back early to catch them and despite the fact that I'd only heard Vegetarian Restaurant before tonight they made me feel right at home and each song had something to grab onto that drew you in and bounced you along on the crest of a wave with them; they seemed to go down well with the BS crowd who appreciated the fine tunes and I would heartily recommend them to anyone with a love of real indie music, lush melodies and fine lyrics.

So, because of Aberfeldy I'm now here to watch The Beautiful South and while much of it isn't the kind of stuff I'd rush out to buy, one can't help but enjoy the bouncey tunes and fine wordplay of Paul Heaton. In fact, you couldn't get anything that looked more out of place than the twin vocalists of Heaton and Dave Hemingway who, in all honesty, looks like he'd rather be anywhere else than on stage, hidden as he is behind a cap and shades with minimal audience contact. Heaton, meanwhile is born for the stage, camping it up with dance moves and interacting with the audience. Of course, we must not forget Alison Wheeler who provides all the upfront female vocals in great style and a fine band including a full brass ensemble who really add to the sound. Although out to promote a new album there is no shortage of well known hits in the set list and it's hard not to enjoy the likes of Song For Whoever, Old Red Eyes, A little Time, One Last Lovesong, Perfect Ten & Keep It All In; most of the set is crowd pleasing and there's plenty of dancing and singing along going on and the newer material sits well in amongst the standards. One can't get away from the lyrical side of the band though, without Heaton's acerbic wit and life observations the band wouldn't be half as interesting; but tonight I've seen the band in a new light and while I wouldn't say I'm a fan I certainly appreciate them more than I did previously and I was happy that they played Perfect Ten, the only song they've done that I've really loved!

Morrissey + Kristeen Young - Guildhall, Portsmouth. 19/05/06.

2006-06-06T12:59:00.000+01:00

Kristeen Young is one of those performers that leave you standing there with your mouth open wondering what the hell is going on as she hits her keyboards and warbles away in a semi-operatic manner. Once you get past the seemingly random tunes you begin to notice snatches of classical music fusing with electro and pop creating a strange hybrid that is held together by a live drummer; one begins to think of The Kills but on bad drugs and being dragged through a cat filled hedge backwards. It's quite spectacular and I'm sure that many here, myself included, expected something different from a Morrissey support, so it's refreshing that we should be treated to something out of the ordinary that gets us thinking.

Morrissey, hero to some, annoying twat to others and so it's quite interesting to be working this gig as local crew. He obviously holds some power as the restaurant in the Guildhall is closed for the day so that meat is not cooked and we are warned not to bring any meat products in with us while working and then having to arrange the gear around an array of burning incense sticks and rumours spread like wildfire. But anyway, makes for an interesting working day and watching the audience arrive is quite interesting also, an odd mixture of Smiths throwbacks who still think they are in the 80s, student types plus many more sub-groups. The one thing they all have in common is that they worship Morrissey, the man is met like a God when he appears on stage and it is in stark contrast with the Richard Ashcroft gig the other day in that nearly everyone hangs off every word spoken or sung, and that he does indeed ooze charisma whether you like him or not. As for the music, it's heavier than The Smiths, less jangly and more intense; a couple of Smiths tunes are included, Girlfriend In A Coma, Still Ill and my personal favourite How Soon Is Now? which rounds the set off in spectacular style. Mixed in with this are tunes from the new album and some old favourites that are all welcomed by the crowd; for those of us not Morrissey fans it can sound a tad depressing and to be honest I'd rather dig out some old The Smiths vinyl and listen to that as his solo material doesn't really do it for me but having said that there is no doubt that Morrissey is adored, it's been a long time since I've seen fans at the front clambering to touch hands with their hero and more often than not he obliges. Tonight is a complete success for him and the hardcore fan base appeared to love it; I enjoyed parts of the set and am pleased to have seen a performer with character and charisma that so many are lacking these days, it's just that I won't be rushing out to add to my cd collection with any of his solo stuff...I'll stick with my old jangly vinyl.

Little London + Dragon Eye Morrison + Hellcyon - The Thursday Thing @ The Registry, Portsmouth. 18/05/06.

2006-06-06T12:08:00.000+01:00

With a Friday night away from my usual Messclean jaunt looming due to work and my good lady having a load of her friends round for a 'musical' night (yep, they all watch a musical and sing a long!), tonight's fine line-up offered me a chance to get my weekly dose of 'local' bands and what a line-up it is too!

Hellcyon are clinging to a thread between being comical and awesome and it says something about the band that they bring a stupid grin to your face for most of the set yet leave you with the feeling you've just seen a first class band with amazing songs and you don't think they are a joke. Hellcyon combine huge slabs of 70s classic rock with the crunch funk of early Chili Peppers and time changes galore just to keep you and the band on their toes, in front of us we have a camp looking cowboy, a 70s rock band casualty, some strange effort at what could be a cave man and then you have frontman Pedro, a pint size Anthony Kiedis stripped to the waist and wearing a large tartan skirt that looks like it could have belonged to an OAP just hours ago. The small stage area can barely contain the band as they throw rock star poses and Pedro prowls back and forth like a caged animal while they let slip big chunks of rock music that delight and please the amassed throng of long haired reprobates that stand just an inch away from the band. A real triumph for Hellcyon tonight and an example of fine showmanship.

With a stand-in drummer (well done Mark Denney!) Dragon Eye Morrison could be forgiven for taking their foot off the gas tonight and playing it safe. But safe doesn't suit DEM, so it's straight in with their full on sensory attack and you really wouldn't notice that the drummer has had hardly any time to learn the material. DEM are brutal, an acquired taste some might say, but their is beauty lurking within the twisted carnage they create; it may be a twisted metal, face stripping acidic beauty, but it's there under Adams throat ripping excesses and the sharp guitars that stab you in the ears and the manic drums that strive to keep up through the tumbling remains of the songs. DEM are an exercise in restrained punishment, pushing you to the edge but never losing control and it's always a spectacular sight to see them in full on laying waste mode and tonight they do it supremely well and end by ripping Helter Skelter to bits and leaving the remains screaming in our ears.

Which leaves us with those damn sexy rock n rollers Little London who are back amongst us after a few months away and a few personal problems that nearly saw the end of the band, but luckily for us they saw the light through the bottom of a bottle of Jack Daniels and have surfaced for air and I for one am glad they did because I love this band, pure and simple. If there was one band I could watch week after week it would be this lot with their excellent tunes. It's been said before that LL take slices of The Wildhearts, QOTSA, Turbonegro, Therapy? and all those other bands that just play it straight down the line and have created themselves quite a rock n roll beast. No need for bullshit, just plug in, turn it up and let it rip with tune after tune of catchy as fuck dirt rock with a hint of metallic power and melodies that whip the ass of Ginger and shove a finger up his nose. Quite excellent though it wasn't loud enough tonight, but a minor gripe as the tracks old & new sounded as good as ever, so someone out there, take a chance on them, stick them on tour and let them drink & fuck themselves silly, you won't regret it. Guaranteed to go down a storm with rock crowds and ladies!

The night is rounded off in true style with a free meat raffle and it's probably just as well I didn't win a lump of beef as I'm not sure what Mrs.Grebo the vegetarian would have made of that when I staggered through the door!

Richard Ashcroft - Guildhall, Portsmouth. 17/05/06.

2006-06-06T11:36:00.000+01:00

I have to admit that I rarely attend gigs in large venues as I find them so souless and if it wasn't for the fact that I was working on the local crew again then I wouldn't be here, but it offers me a chance to pass comment on the odd big band so it would be churlish to pass up the opportunity.
Alas, I arrive back at the Guildhall later than planned and so only catch the last song and a half of support act Tiny Dancers who actually sound like they might be quite entertaining. I enjoyed their last song very much but you'll have to judge them for yourselves over on their MySpace page as I really didn't see enough to comment on.

On to the man himself, Richard Ashcroft who opens with Sonnet followed by recent single Music Is Power and to be honest I'm rather disappointed. Not sure what I was expecting, but the way he has been built up to be some great songwriter had me wanting a show with a spark to it and a singer oozing charisma, but I'm faced with a rather dull, mid paced 'Dad rock' set that just plods along until the fifth song kicks in. Drugs Don't Work is the first song of the night that really engages the audience, half of whom so far have been far more interested in holding conversations than actually watching the gig and then it drifts back into ordinary mode with Science Of Silence and Sweet Brother Malcolm before New York sees a spark of energy and life creep into the set, a much needed boost to keep us awake. Lucky Man closes the set and of course, everyone knows this one so the place erupts and sings along and you kind of realise at this point that when he hits the spot, he really hits the spot with good tunes, it's just unfortunate that 80% of the material is so pedestrian that it just floats by unnoticed.
Richard appears for the encore and treats us to a solo with Check The Meaning , just him and a drum machine before the band rejoin him to round off with Space & Time, Lonely Soul, BTN With Colour and the tune we've all been waiting for, Bitter Sweet Symphony which does sound wonderful in fairness but you do wonder just how many people were here just to hear those couple of Verve tunes.

Can't say I'll be rushing out to get any of his material, other than a couple of obvious highlights tonight, I found the whole set rather average and safe, the kind of stuff you will hear on Radio 2 during the day. I'm positive that a fair few will disagree, but having watched the audience as much as the man himself, it's clear that a large percentage had little interest other than hearing those big hits and with fairly little interaction with the crowd it all came over as rather dull.

The Visitors + Torpedos + Momentum + Nik Karlberg - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 12/05/06.

2006-05-16T12:45:00.000+01:00

Back to business this week after Messclean was taken over for an evening last Friday by Total Carnage Promotions, who put on a some cracking metal bands that I had to miss due to the fact I was crewing over in Southampton for fecking Craig David...life can be a bitch sometimes! In the meantime Messclean went 'garden' for the evening and you can read all the gory details of cover versions, hospital trips, drugs, sex & rock n roll over at Messclean in their blog.

But anyway, on to my never ending mission of reviewing as many of the local bands as possible that pass through The Frog on a Friday evening and tonight the deep and thoughtful Nik Karlberg wins us over with a trio of delicate but robust acoustic numbers. The man has a tremendous voice, think along the lines of John Martyn, Ben Harper etc and you get the area he is working in. Nik has that air of being slightly distant and floaty, one almost expects incense to come wafting from the stage, not that he is the hippy dippy type, just that there seems to be a lot more to him that is immediately apparent. Although the set is short one can't help but be won over by the beauty of Blue Skies and the epic closer Speechless with it's drawn out ending and intricate patterns. An ever shifting artist that draws on wide influences and always interesting to listen to, a pleasing start to the evening.

Momentum are a shiny and sharp young band that appear to have a bit of parental support when it comes to equipment as they leave the stage bare when they complete their set and dismantle the equipment but anyway, as I said, Momentum are sharp, shiny young things pushing a neat line in safe indie electro pop. They certainly have the image sorted but lack that bit of stage flare at the moment that makes them slightly boring to watch but once they gain some experience then I fully expect them to be reducing venues full of teenage girls to tears with their boyish good looks and big pop choruses. In truth I think they surprise everyone tonight with just how good and polished they are and while it may be the wrong audience there is no doubt that they left a mark on everyone tonight with their chiming guitars and electro backbone. Not really my type of thing but I reckon if they were to play with the right sort of band that has young alternative fans then they would have a few labels sniffing around them in no time at all and the fact that the last thing I wrote down in my notebook before they finished was 'Impressed' says it all really.

Once Momentum and their parents/girlfriends had removed all their nice looking equipment the stage looked rather bare for Torpedos but do they give a flying fuck, course not. Torpedos are rock n roll, clad in their usual black attire they simply plug in and deliver another blinding set of eighties goth injected with a bit of balls. It's hard to add anything to my previous couple of reviews of this band as they are never going to change, if you don't like goth tinged rock music then you will hate them but if you are partial to a bit of darkness then step on up; stick them on somewhere like the Whitby Goth weekend and they would go down a storm not that they are strictly Goth but those with a taste for something with a harder edge would lap it up. Me, I love them with their retro guitar sound and Cure like bass that create some fine choruses just ripe for some of that Goth hands in the air dancing!

The Visitors are here to welcome the summer with their cheery acoustic flecked rock that brings to mind Counting Crows and the Chili Peppers and while it's all a bit nice and cheery for me there is no doubt that they are highly infectious and one can't help but enjoy chunks of their set. They specialise in that middle of the road lite rock with a funk edge, the kind of stuff that is annoyingly catchy and is played on the radio all over the summer and even though you don't want to like it you end up stuck with the tunes in your head. But it's well played and the majority of people in tonight are really enjoying the light melodies and easy going feeling they produce and an encore is demanded for which they roll out an Eminem tune that sees a large amount of people start shifting on their feet to make the most of the parting shot.

Nik Karlberg takes to the stage once again to round off the evening with a couple of chilled tunes and looks thoroughly surprised when Ross from The Visitors appears alongside him plugging in his guitar and a beat starts up behind courtesy of Matt from Little London who has popped in for a visit and an impromptu jam is started that runs and runs much to everyone's delight. It's the kind of unexpected treat that makes nights like these so special as a few people had left thinking it was the end but here we are listening to a group of people who are just running on adrenalin and skill and really enjoying what they are doing and for a non-musician such as myself it's fascinating watching them weave away, working off and with each other. Eventually Matt gives way to The Visitors drummer Dan (if I'm not mistaken...things started to get a bit hazy) who continues a fine groove and before long we see the arrival of a certain Kurt Kooder on stage to provide some extra vocals and a glorious sight it was too. A fine way to end the evening and glad I took a few snaps at the end to capture all these chaps on stage at the same time as it's unlikely it will be repeated. Those that left thinking it was all over missed a real treat here and that's always my excuse for staying until the bitter end, who said anything about squeezing in an extra pint of cider before staggering home?

The Waysters + Bullet + The Elements + Mach Schau + Sons Of Caine - Messclean, Portsmouth. 28/04/06.

2006-05-02T13:14:00.000+01:00

Another busy Friday night and more sauna like conditions underneath the Pyramid leisure Centre on good old Pompey sea front and a five band bill that will surely have us sweating off pounds of flesh by the end of the evening. Sons Of Caine are first up but don't let the bottom of the bill slot fool you, oh no...this filth bastard groove machine are anything but opening act material and while the crowd may be slightly stand offish at this early hour, the quality of the band shines out like the second coming. The Sons take a big helping of good classic rock, weld it to some huge stoner rock wheels, stick some cool grooves on the stereo and let it rip; low slung guitars grinding away as melodies slip and slide over the highway and an impressive frontman rips his vocal chords out.
You won't find many better opening acts, those with taste have heads going and feet are loosening up to the sexy as fuck sounds; of course that's sexy as fuck for those that like it rough and ready, who don't mind leaving behind a sprawling mess of bodily fluids. On the live showing they wouldn't be out of place doing some Desert Sessions under a baking sun with the beer flowing and a hazy cloud of sweet smelling smoke hanging in the air, aggression and groove riding bareback together. If you like it hard but groove laden then you need to check this lot out, if you haven't guessed I quite like them and next time I expect the Messclean team to have them headlining as tonight's set is a real killer.

So, how do you follow up an exceptional opener? You stick some indie punk urchins on from Southampton going by the name of Mach Schau and watch them tear the place apart with their hyperactive spiky punk indie mix that sees the vocalist hanging from the ceiling and stalking the wide eyed audience. It's angular, tantrum inducing and has that brattish edge that sets them apart from the ordinary; a truck load of sulky attitude and a seemingly overwhelming urge to keep twitching and twisting making it near on impossible to get a photo in focus of them. Mach Schau are a fantastic band to watch, one of those acts where you are not sure what is going to happen next or if it will all explode into scenes of complete chaos as they steer close to the edge a couple of times.
Musically they have a very current sound, being both capable of throwing out decent tunes whilst keeping the effect raw and positively buzzing with wired energy, an exciting mix of punk attitude and full on indie sounds. Tonight Mach Schau are the sound of the youth having a riot, the bored teenagers on street corners drinking and throwing up on your doorstep before having sex in the local park and really not giving a flying fuck about what anyone thinks; great fun and ones to keep an eye out for.

The Elements are by far the best supported band of the night bringing just about everything with them bar the kitchen sink, but at this point I lose interest rapidly. I could say that they write well crafted tunes and play them to a high standard and that the crowd lap them up, even with the rather irritating Rossco (sorry mate!) stood on top of a monitor conducting the throng and singing every word as if they are the best band in the world not distracting attention away from a confident band, I think most of the crowd would agree with those sentiments. But, they are dull. No getting away from it, this is aband who on their MySpace page say they sound like Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller and U2 and frankly that is what you get; a rehash of all those bands and throw in some of that Oasis/Coldplay big brand indie and you have The Elements. Now, to be fair, this is of course my own opinion and there are plenty of people out there who like that middle of the road, safe indie rock that your mum would like but after the raw energy of the first two bands this set just sounds so unchallenging. Sure, it is well played and I'm not knocking the musicianship and I could easily see them doing well in the mainstream but for me they offer nothing new to an old formula and their brand of music just doesn't do it for me but a vast amount of the crowd in tonight did enjoy it so if that OCS type thing floats your boat then check them out, you are sure to love them but if you want danger and excitement then best leave well alone.

Luckily for me, Londoners Bullet are on next and despite some hype around them and a link to the shoddy Towers Of London that they really don't need, they turn out to be a quite excellent rock n roll band. Some bands just have that look of impending fame about them and earlier in the day on my way back from collecting some wages I saw a little red van drive towards me and hunched in the front were some hairy chaps and a pair of large white sunglasses staring at me...now that, I thought to myself, is one hell of a rock band! And here I am several hours later and those same chaps have just walked on stage and there is the bass player in the white sunglasses and yes, they are one hell of a rock band.
They look good and sound even better, belting out some serious attitude laden rock n roll dripping with molten riffs and a thumping rhythm section not to mention a front man that will soon have rows upon rows of girls screaming at him. There is something about rock n roll that never goes out of fashion and when it is done as well as this you just know that people will sit up and take notice and surely it won't be long before the name Bullet will be on everyone's lips. Perfect music for downing a beer too, shaking loose that hair and just getting down and having fun. It's how all good rock music should sound but it's surprising how many bands can make it sound dull and boring, but Bullet tonight inject their sounds with rocket fuel and we get a full on attack from a band that really should be playing bigger venues.

Rounding the night off are youngsters The Waysters who inbetween studying for exams are honing their indie sound down and are starting to create their own identity. Though they are still relatively fresh to the live scene they have the look of a band that have been on the circuit for longer and tonight they play a decent set of quality indie material and once again names like Arctic Monkeys spring to mind as an obvious influence.
Having seen them on a few occasions now I'm still impressed that they are so talented at such a young age and have emerged with such fully matured songs; one hopes that they are given time to develop at their own speed and are not caught up in the rock n roll lifestyle and myth making. Once exams are out of the way it would be good to see them spread their wings a bit, experience life and do some gigs outside of the local area so they don't crash and burn on a scene of playing to the same people. With all that in mind I firmly believe they could deliver some astounding tunes as they have some real gems at the moment that are instant classics and if they can produce material that is all of that standard then people will have a hard job to ignore them. Tonight's set is good but when you compare them to Bullet then it is obvious they still have a way to go, I've no doubt they will get there and when they do it will be something quite special.

Deville + A&E Line + Cool Banana + Aaron Norton - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 21/04/06.

2006-04-25T13:03:00.000+01:00

One of those nights where illness has forced changes upon the line-up so it is down to Aaron Norton to ease us into the evening with his rather finely crafted tunes. Aaron is what you would term a singer/songwriter type, not quite sure what that means at the end of the day, but you probably know exactly what I mean and if you picture a young man sat on a stool with an acoustic guitar for company then you are on the right track. A string of mellow tunes are unveiled to us, warm and lush sounding and he has a fine, fine voice that can transform from soft velvety tones to powerful higher levels; he slips in a couple of cover versions for good measure and due to the fact that he has no set list and appears, like me, to find it difficult to make decisions, so has to resort to asking his good lady for suggestions on what to play next which is quite charming and amusing. The covers are "Basket Case" by Green Day and "Stigmatised" by The Calling just to show he has a rocky edge and while they are gentle distractions done with a smile, his own tunes are the real stars of his set.

Up next are some elder statesmen going by the name of Cool Banana, a loose collective of souls who have decided to pay homage to the Velvet Underground. But, as they are so keen to point out, they are not a tribute band; Cool banana have taken VU as their inspiration and do include a few of their songs but these are interspersed with original material that develops the rock template and attempts to take it to new places. The live performance is part of a much wider project that aims to take in a book, film, recordings, computer game plus whatever else springs up on the journey; the gig tonight sees the project in it's early stages and one can imagine that hen it hits its peak it will be quite a multi-media extravaganza.
But tonight we concentrate on the live set-up, five gentleman, a few of whom are probably old enough to know better, so we can rule out 'scenesters' and bandwagon jumping, all well established musicians doing this for the love of it. What does it sound like? Well, those here expecting a Velvet Underground tribute would probably have left disappointed, the covers were good but they shift the tunes into new directions. It kind of feels like VU go new age with the didgeridoo vibrating away underneath everything and the loose percussion straight out of a late night jamming session, imagine a VU born out of a post rave come down rather than dark shades and heroin. It goes down remarkably well tonight and the original tunes are equally as strong as the covers if not better as you can distance yourself from the inspiration and add into the mix the guest musicians they bring along to different gigs and you have the pleasure of not quite knowing what it will sound like. An interesting and likeable project that will be worth keeping tabs on to see how it progresses.

Keeping up the eclectic nature of the line-up tonight are the A&E Line, a seismic duo straight out of geeksville and merging the boundaries between drum machine driven off kilter indie rock and art performance. One of them strangles the life out of his guitar while the other appears as a character that works in a diner complete with paper hat and dodgy glasses, it's hard to make out where character ends and vocalist begins but one can't help but be engrossed by their performance and ever so catchy tunes.

It's eccentric and is not going to be to everyone's taste, but I find them quite fantastic as the drum machine clatters away and they babble away to an audience that treats them like the nutter on a bus where you want to look but you know you shouldn't stare but you can't help it, you smile and nod your head when they talk to you and then you escape as quickly as possible. Someone mentioned Sparks in my ear before they left and I suppose they do have that kind of dramatic edge with quirky time changes bolted on to catchy tunes, you could add in a hint of Cardiacs type madness and perhaps some They Might Be Giants kookyness but at the end of the day they just sound like A&E Line doing their own thing in their own little creative bubble; you are either going to love or hate them, if you want straight down the line middle of the road indie rock then walk on by on the other side but if you want that little touch of something that lurks outside the norm then step right up, they don't bite, well, not yet anyway and look out for a forthcoming release on the quite good Hackpen Records label.

Last minute additions to the bill are the infamous Deville, their reputations go before them like colossal shadows but tonight some of the usual Pompey attitude has been left outside and they launch into a rowdy and sometimes chaotic set that is vibrating and buzzing with energy. This gig is a chance to break in their new bass player and it has to be said that he looks the part and seems to take to the job in hand very well and while the other three members may dominate in character, particularly vocalist Ash, I'm sure he will stamp his own personality on the band in time.

There have been times where I have knocked Deville, sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them and one can't deny that they wear their influences on their sleeves or in the case of Ash, on his skin! Think Libertines, Razorlight type indie mixed up with punk aggression and some 60s influence by way of Oasis (when they were young and urgent) and you kind of see where they are coming from, but tonight with some of the attitude left outside, we see a more relaxed yet still hyped up Deville that storm through a set of fast paced indie rockers with massive anthems for choruses, it's a chance to concentrate on the tunes rather than attention seeking antics of band and fans and it's a real treat to watch them tonight. This energy drenched set sees them sparkling and kind of has a feel of a rehearsal rather than a full on performance and it is far more rewarding for those of us lucky enough to catch this low key show. So tonight I love Deville and their chaotic bluster, the gaffa tape round the jeans, the stripped to the waist bravado and the dropping of trousers; on their day they can take on anyone with their fist in the air, testosterone filled guitar attacks...I wish they'd leave the baggage at the door more often!

Five Bands For A Fiver - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. 16/04/06.

2006-04-22T10:37:00.000+01:00

So, spring is in the air and it’s a toss up between watching the Kids throw up after their 5 Easter Egg in a row or an evening of top notch Rock n Roll at the Wedge. So, Five Bands For A Fiver it is then...1st up are The Maxis, together for only 3 weeks but oozing slick Garage Rock Cool that comes with experience, they know their stuff these boys.

Next up was Southern Bell, another band playing their debut gig. They certainly brought the crowd with them, there's a definite Kings Of Leon vibe about them, Whiskers included too. Their songs show a lot of promise but would probably benefit from a second guitarist to bolster their live sound.

3rd up to the Plate were The Spinouts, these guys (and Lady) have definitely got it! For starters they look like a Band, loads of confidence on stage, great songs and really tight rhythm section, if all was right in the world, they would be going places but then Chico got to number one, its a cruel world out there!!

Just before the headliners, Thee Outlaws played a cocky set of rock n roll, mixed it with the crowd a bit but just about got away with it.

The Autumn Stone then closed a great Easter Sunday Night of Rock N Roll with a crowd pleasing set of Who, Jam and Small Faces favourites, they have a great authentic sounding lead singer who obviously grew up living and loving this stuff and as the 1st band I saw a the tender age of 14 was The Jam at the Guildhall in 1979, I loved it too...Roll on The 5 Bands For a Fiver summer extravaganza, Beach Part anyone????
Review by Nish

Fear Factory + Breed77 + Misery Index - Pyramids, Portsmouth.16.04.06.

2006-04-20T14:16:00.000+01:00

Another gig I would have probably missed if I had not been working it, having seen Fear Factory once before and finding them slightly on the boring side, as was today with around four hours of sitting around waiting for small jobs to do while the bands sound checked. You get to that point where you just want to bang your head against the wall, thank god I don't have to do it every day...no wonder they turn to girls, drink and drugs!

Americans Misery Index are up first and a half hour set of crushing grind core that brings to mind Napalm Death but with slightly longer songs delivered with a vicious vocal attack. No time here for nice melodies, delicately woven guitar lines, oh no, just pure adrenalin driven angry and angular metal that induces headbanging on and off stage. Perhaps a little extreme for half the people in tonight but probably my favourite for their sheer bloody mindedness in not letting up the pace; the kind of band I would love to see in a small venue, The Frog downstairs would have been ideal, as the band whipped up a whirlwind of noise and chaos and fans would have been hanging from the ceiling pipes and wrecking the joint rather than standing nicely beyond the sterile security barrier.

Breed77 have been lurking around the metal scene for a number of years since they released an EP on ORG Records back in 1999 (and very fine it was too) and have recently refined their sound and headed towards the lower reaches of the charts, this is reflected in their well crafted set tonight. They play well but are probably the least exciting band tonight and come across as professional rather than passionate and put me in mind of those bands that have crossed into the mainstream such as Lost Prophets; that's not to say that there are not decent tunes in there, it's just you get the feeling that these sort of big support slots are just a job and a stepping stone and come across as slighlty sterile. Having sat in on the soundcheck it is obvious these guys can really play but all those nice little interesting touches are lost in the big scheme of things tonight; they've always combined a hint of melody with their metal but at the moment the tunes sound like they have one eye on the charts which is a real shame.

Fear Factory are here to plug their 2005 album Transgression and have a run through some of their extensive back catalogue. From opener 540,000'f it's a full on cyber metal attack of the highest order and tonight I'm finding it much more to my taste; whereas last time they looked like they were going through the motions, tonight they looked hungry and sounded impressive as they worked through a set list including Demanufacture, Edgecrusher, Descent, Pisschrist, Linchpin, Cyberwaste and Replica as fan after fan surfed over the barrier. In all they work through a 19 song set complete with an ill drummer while the packed crowd love every note and demonstate that Fear Factory in 2006 are still a force to be reckoned with and if the gaggle of girls hand picked from the audience that are lurking side stage are anything to go by they are still very much living the rock n roll dream!

Carmen Rosa + Earl + Kurt Cooder + Kite Season + Rossco - Messclean, Portsmouth. 14/04/06.

2006-04-20T13:26:00.000+01:00

Those Messclean chaps are busy putting their fingers in many pies and on many sausages and one such project is a short tour of the south for the three main bands performing tonight and this very night kicks the tour off on their home ground to a receptive audience that are left drowned in a sea of varying sets and sweat.

First and third on, are the yin and yang of acoustic artists Rossco and that man again Kurt Cooder. Rossco has the short straw of taking to the stage first while people are still arriving and letting the first couple of beers soak in but from the sounds that drifted over to me it would appear we have a decent singer/songwriter in our midst and a none too shabby voice that compliments the well crafted indie guitar tunes. Kurt tonight ditches the electric guitar in favour of an acoustic set and while it softens the tunes slightly there is no escaping the gritty lyrical tales and observations of life, while Rossco makes you feel like whiskey being sipped down in front of a fire, Kurt makes you feel like you have a rabid dog with teeth sunk into your ankles hanging on for grim death. Both are fine performers in their own way and produce strong sets.

Perched somewhat awkwardly between these two are Kite Season who are still searching for a drummer and produce a semi-acoustic set of quirky indie that just doesn't hit the spot for me tonight. The tunes seem to lack a focus and meander along without direction and my first thought is along the lines of 'if they had a drummer and were fully electric then we may have something good to listen to'. But tonight they just sounded a mess and a few people drifted to the bar unable to fully grasp the sounds; I hope that next time Kite Season will be more rewarding as there are some interesting ideas going on but they just need developing a little more with a full band.

Londoners Earl are the kind of band that I fully expect to see gracing the pages of the national music press within a couple of years, they have a fully developed sound and are fine musicians producing a pleasing take on country/folk indie rock with a nice line in fiddle to round it off. Having said that, on a personal level I find it slightly one paced and far too nice in that Keane/Coldplay kind of way, not that they sound like either band, it's just that if you like those kind of big sounding but safe bands then Earl should be next on your list, get in there before they shift bucket loads of cds so you can say you were there. Portsmouth takes to them very well and the set is well received by a decent sized crowd; if they happen to visit Messclean again I would say check them out while you still can in a small venue before they start getting those bigger support slots.

Rounding off the night are local space cadets Carmen Rosa who have a host of fellow musicians in the crowd to watch them including Jim Shaw of Cranes which is no surprise as two of the band have featured in the live Cranes set-up in the past and they have a similar kind of out there appeal to them. The music of Carmen Rosa drifts in and out of focus, gentle waves of guitar and bass create sonic soundscapes that give way to crashing crescendos of intense energy before floating off into the ether never to return. Fortunately they never move into self indulgent mode and each lull and peak is essential to the moods of the tunes; it's easy to lose oneself in the washes of sound and totally forget where you are which is the beauty of Carmen Rosa, it's music for dreamers and drifters, music to transport away from humdrum life and into other worlds. Now that may sound like the wafflings of an old hippy but one look around during the gig and you can see that others are lost in their own little bit of time and space that Carmen Rosa have created for them, just enjoying the ebb and the flow of a beautiful band. An excellent gig for the start of the Messclean tour and I am confident that the Rosa boys will pick up some new fans along the way.

Less Than Jake + Boys Night Out + Bullets To Broadway - Pyramids, Portsmouth. 13/04/06.

2006-04-20T12:36:00.000+01:00

In all honesty, this is a gig I probably would have not bothered with as that ska-punk thing really isn't my kind of thing but seeing as I am working local crew at it and have the delight of being the stop-on and having to be here all day, along with taking the support bands gear off stage between sets, I thought I may as well pen a few words. First thing to say is that what a nice bunch of people are involved with this tour, all are friendly and it's nice to get a few thank you's while lugging the gear around the venue and a special thanks to the LTJ merch man who made sure I got a T-Shirt at the end of the night, much appreciated!

Fellow Americans Bullets To Broadway are up first who feature 3/4 of Teen Idols who played sold out shows and had made quite a name for themselves before splitting. With a Uk release of their MCD "Drink Positive" out on the well respected Household Name records (which has been selling like hot cakes on the tour apparently, so much so that HHN had to get more printed) the time is right for the UK to take the band to their hearts and after watching them tonight I'm sure they will. Not only do they look good, they sound fantastic; big dirty punk rock riffs that fly along at full pelt dragging big fat melodies screaming behind them. Vocals are a mix of hardcore brutality soothed with seductive male/female melodies that add some extra spice to already potent tunes; add in the experience of being in successful bands before and you have a band that know how to interact with a big crowd and give them what they want and they deliver it with a confidence and cool punk rock swagger. They hit the Uk again in May for some smaller dates, check their website and if they are swinging by your way I heartily recommend them to you if you like your punk rock big and dirty.

Canadians Boys Night Out are another revelation as I was kind of expecting at least one of the support bands to play dodgy ska-punk, but no, we have another top notch punk band with a nod to emo and the alternative side of things. Positively bristling with energy they have trouble containing themselves in the small section of stage they have to perform in, this is a band who obviously love playing live and feed off the crowd energy as their upbeat and clattering tunes cause much damage down the front. BNO take a brave step of adding keyboards into the mix, the female keyboardist working manically in zero space conjuring up what sounds like Duran Duran cast offs ( and I mean that in a good way!) that are spun round by the guitars and morphed into cracking punk rock. I reckon they may just appeal to the emo crowd but they lack those whiney vocals thank god so it has a fuller sound...perhaps emo with a bit of bollocks, or perhaps just damn good rock music to drink beer to. However you want to describe them, I'm kind of glad I ended up working this gig as it's rare to get two such excellent support bands in one night.

A sold out crowd is in to see Less Than Jake who have been around a while but have passed me by until now, other than the odd song on compilations I have including the brilliant 'Gainsville Rock City'. I have to say that I am totally won over by their set tonight, fast paced melodic punk with injections of ska fuelled brass keep the energetic crowd moving all night while the energy levels the band show are amazing and it's a wonder that there are not floods of sweat flowing from the stage. I have no idea what they played, I believe I missed Gainsville Rock City at the start as we were loading out the gear for the supports and as we came back up in the lift I heard the closing few notes which was a bit gutting but as I said, they won me over so it doesn't matter that I don't know any titles as they left me with my foot tapping, head nodding and a grin on my face. Anyone who missed this, missed a cracking gig by a band giving 200% and the sight of some poor hand picked young lady having the chance to sniff 3 lots of sweaty armpits belonging to crowd members, confetti and fake snow being launched from the stage, rock n roll eh, you got to love it and I'm now wearing my T-shirt with pride!

Contra + The Carter Affair + Underdog + Outbreak Season - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 07/04/06.

2006-04-10T22:13:00.000+01:00

If anyone has happened to stop by to see my words of wisdom about the Messclean gig from 31st March featuring The Strange Death Of Liberal England & Dragon Eye Morrison + others...well, there isn't one because I was working 'upstairs' at the In Flames gig so only managed to catch a brief glimpse of the early bands. I can confirm though that it was very busy, one out & one in on the door, very hot and was probably a blinder in terms of music!

But on to the most recent Messclean and not quite so busy, but then I like to be able to get to the bar with ease. First up are Outbreak Season, a trio who are making their live debut tonight; they manage to get a few feet tapping to their funky metal instrumentals that are laced with 60s grooves as if the ghost of Hendrix had filtered onto the stage, at times it feels like a rehearsal jam session as the tunes flow back and forth before a chap from the back shouts "I'll sing for you" and arrives on stage. Set up or random nutter? Who knows, but he does a decent job for a couple of songs doing that mix of singing and barking that metal hardcore types love so much but it injects an extra bit of life into the set. A promising start and it will be interesting to see if the singer travels with them next time.

Underdog are also relative newcomers to the scene and this is their Pompey debut. Underdog are a band who sound like they listen to Motorhead and Sex Pistols back to back and have tried to scrape the grime from under the nails of punk and mix it with a little of whatever keeps Lemmy going. The result is some dirty, chugging rock n roll that leaves a vapour trail of oil behind it; while they may not possess the classic songs of their heroes just yet there is plenty to suggest that they could become a pretty decent band.
In their favour they have one of those frontmen that looks rough as fuck with his shaven head and agitated shuffling around the stage, the kind you don't want to meet down a dark alley but looks good on a stage. Underdog are at their best when they are tearing it up and going full pelt, things go a bit shaky when they try to slow it down as the tunes are not quite epic enough. But for good old dirty rock n roll then Underdog are your boys and with a bit of tweaking, some extra grime and oil added to the mix then we should have a new potent force to reckon with.

It's never a good sign when a band look a bit pissed off before they start and this is exactly how The Carter Affair appear as their keyboard is wiped out before they even start playing but it seems to add fuel to their already explosive mix of angular jabs and swathes of melodic feedback. The Carter Affair are one of those bands that have an infinite number of guitar pedals fixed to lumps of wood in front of them and they are put to good use as they wail angrily while guitars jab and hook from different directions before dipping into a sea of melody and drowning you in a huge wave of feedback. Lurking in the middle of this maelstrom are some fantastic vocals that scream out and grab you before being drenched in noise.
The Carter Affair are a truly fantastic band and it's a shame that a few more Pompey types haven't cottoned on to them as they missed a real treat, anyone with a bent for the stylings of Sonic Youth, The Mars Volta etc would probably have loved the angular shards of noise that this band whip up and with a rather stylish frontman sporting a nice waist coat you know they have that slightly eccentric edge that all genii have. This band go down as one of those you must see live at least once if you like a good sonic attack and I for one hope Messclean have them back soon along with the keyboard so we can see them in full flow though it may just destroy the Pyramids.

Headliners tonight are the equally fantastic Contra who left me gobsmacked a few months back at The Wedgewood Rooms so now was a chance to see if they could cut it in a small venue and they don't disappoint. Contra take a more direct approach with their tunes, massive alt-rock slabs of melody that sparkle and shine before splintering and shattering into dense blankets of noise. The old saying goes that you should never judge a book by it's cover, and it couldn't be more true in the case of Contra, as when they wander on the stage you have no idea of what to expect if you've not encountered them before.
But I think those that hung around long enough were soon won over as the beautiful slabs of power hit them and while the vocalist visually puts me in mind of a mix of Ian Curtis and a young Mark E. Smith, he has a fantastic voice and is mesmerizing to watch without actually doing much. Listening to Contra is like having a room full of black velvet, layered with shattered stars then wrapping yourself up in it and being cut to pieces, beautiful but harsh and a rare treat. For me, Contra were the stars tonight with The Carter Affair close behind smashing away at the trail of stardust and shooting off in all directions. Two exceptional bands to round the evening off and we should consider ourselves lucky to have such talent in abundance.

The Sportiques + Big Squirrel + Spinouts + Eleanor - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 24/03/06.

2006-03-28T12:10:00.000+01:00

Another sweltering night down Messclean and I really wish they would sort out the air conditioning as I'm not sure how long I can put up with swimming around in pools of sweat and believe me there was plenty of it tonight. Bit of a rock n roll/garage theme tonight as The Good Time Charlies were supposed to be headlining but had to pull out due to drummer injuries (what is it with drummers & injuries?!) but they are still represented as Big Squirrel have stepped in and bass thing Nish is lurking on the fringes.

But first of all we have solo act Eleanor to confuse us all. Now, I know the Messclean team love Eleanor and she certainly has a smile that could melt any heart from a hundred metres and when she sings those fizzy punkish pop numbers she has a fantastic voice, but, she lacks a backing band and that's where the problem lies as she looks a little lost on the stage singing along to a backing track. Stick a full band behind her and the bubblegum punk would sparkle to life, then strip away the couple of more mature Sunday morning tunes and replace them with even more of that life affirming fizziness that Eleanor is so good at and we'd be on to a winner. So next time I want to see a band for Eleanor to feed off of!

Spinouts are all about taking garage rock, beefing it up with customised harmonies, giving it fat wheels and sprinkling the whole shebang with glitter. Within one song, Spinouts are drenched in sweat as they rock out with twin guitar action, stabbing riffs giving away to sprawling feedback as a thunderous, yet glamorous bass pummels away at your skull so you can't fail to take notice of them.
Let's not forget the tunes though as there are plenty of them, big, big tunes that are sharp and to the point, stripped away of any flab so we are left with just the cream of rock n roll energy and there is plenty of that emanating from the stage as the temperature rises steadily to almost unbearable highs and the band are in danger of having their heads explode. Yes, Spinouts are a rather fine band and I urge you to go shake your thing to their powerful rock n roll energy if they happen to stop by your way, you won't regret it, I promise you.

So, onto Big Squirrel and our paths cross once more and do you know what? Our paths could cross every day and still I would be happy to watch this duo create mayhem with just a drum kit and guitar. Everytime I see this band I am amazed at what hits me and tonight I'm glad it wasn't a drumstick, as Steve seems to be having a few problems keeping hold of them, for what reason one can only guess as he is reduced at one point to playing the kit with one hand and one stick...genius. But then the whole concept of Big Squirrel is genius, making as much noise as possible with as little as possible while sticking their tongue firmly in their cheek, your cheek and quite possibly between your backside cheeks. I mean, just watch that Tom chap as he slips in some lyric changes to German Sex Tourist to bring in Gary Glitter and a subtle change to English Sex tourist, clever things these squirrels and then there are the tunes; catchy as fuck dirty riffs that melt down Motown with the blues and shape it into some alt-rock/garage hybrid. I doubt if they really care what you call it, but it will leave you itching in the morning.
It's rubbish trying to explain what they are like, I can give a rough idea of the music but what you miss is the humour, the never ending banter that comes with seeing a Big Squirrel, the fine lyrics and the tunes that nail themselves to your forehead in an aggressive manner. Everyone should see them at least once as you won't see a better duo anywhere round here and the comment that everyone seems to come up with is 'how do they make such a fantastic noise with just the two of them, a drum kit and an acoustic guitar'. I still can't work out how they do it, but I'm glad they do. Roll on next time Squirrel types.

The Sportiques have the envious job of following up such a raucous set but they have a couple of extra hands to help them tonight in the form ex- Green Hornets chaps Keith on organ and Nish who ventured on stage for one number to provide backing vocals on a Hornets cover. The Sportiques take a more traditional walk down garage lane, bright sing a long choruses with plenty of guitar action and swirling organ sounds. They are a good time band with a plethora of decent tunes that the die hards enjoy tonight; it all becomes slightly chaotic at times as invited and uninvited guests shamble on and off stage to join in the fun while their mainman looks resigned to the fact that it is just one of those nights and goes with the flow.
They produce a fine set and while they may lack the power and punch of Big Squirrel and Spinouts it is an enjoyable end to a fine evening of good time rock n roll, played just the way it should be.

Dreaming New Animals + The Deads + Cracking Amy + Golden Section - Walkabout, Portsmouth. 22/03/06.

2006-03-28T11:30:00.000+01:00

Tonight is a Battle Of The Bands competition being run by the Walkabout chain of Australian themed bars and Jack Daniels with the ultimate winner getting a trip to America and the chance to record in Sun Studios. Now, I have to admit, I've avoided BOTB type things until now but the chap organising this was given my number and I was invited along to be a judge with the promise of a couple of beers so I thought, why not! There is only one local heat followed by a regional heat, semi final then final at Sheperds Bush Empire so the bands have a good chance of progressing; so, a couple of beers downed and I take up position with my piece of paper where I have to mark the bands out of 10 for various categories which is a little strange but oddly focussing.

Golden Section have drawn the short straw and get to go on first, at this point the crowd are still well back from the stage and they miss out on the curious regulars who check some of the music out later on. However, Golden Section are a young bunch brimming with confidence and their catchy tunes make an immediate impact on those that have arrived early enough. They have a new wave edge, pulsing synth lines that underpin interesting bass lines with plenty of guitar action causing mayhem on top of their dramatic pop edge that is slightly dark around the edges. The vocals sound as if they have been plucked straight from the 80s but adds to their electro indie sound that sounds both old but original. A band that I would gladly check out at a proper gig where they have longer to perform.

Riding in on a wave of pop punk are Cracking Amy who appear to have a few fans in so they get good marks for crowd reaction! Unfortunately they score low on originality as one song blends into another and they begin to sound just like every other pop punk band out there. They are obviously influenced by that whole wave of American 'punk' bands that are not very punk but do produce pop music by the bucket load and that is where the problem lies with Cracking Amy live, little of the material sounds inspiring or original and while they play with gusto and dedication the music just lacks that sparkle.

Coming on like a punked up version of the early Rolling Stones, The Deads steal the show so far with their pumped up, tambourine bashing frontman stealing the show as he pouts, struts and delivers a fine set of soulful vocals backed up by the garage rock n roll of his band. Musically they are spot on tonight as the energy flows from the stage and while they may draw heavily on their influences they manage to deliver a set of original sounding tunes that are passionate and in your face. The best so far tonight.

Rounding the show off and trying to out do The Deads are progressive psychedelic wanderers Dreaming New Animals. By the time they take to the stage they have lost some of the crowd so lack some of that interaction; on their day, DNA can produce stunning sets but as tonight progresses it becomes apparent that the time limit is holding them back. Whereas normally they would allow the tunes to wander off at tangents, tonight they focus it down and the tunes suffer as a result, the normal free flow seems to stutter and while they still do a reasonable set it becomes clear that it isn't going to be their night and I think they realise it as they leave the stage.

A few minutes later and the scores have been added up and The Deads are announced as winners and I think on reflection that the best band did indeed win tonight. So well done to them and thanks to Rich at Walkabout for inviting me down, it was an interesting experience and I hope The Deads progress through the following rounds.

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

2006-03-20T13:33:00.000Z

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.

The Exits + Revolution74 + Dreaming New Animals + One Life Left - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 10/03/06.

2006-03-12T20:46:00.000Z

Tonight sees Messclean's new 2am licence kick in so it's a case of pacing yourself drink wise for both myself and the bands or it will all get very messy with an additional two hours to spend money at the bar! Kicking things off tonight are last minute additions One Life Left who replace Sallyforth who suffered some kind of drummer injury or such like. This is about the third time I've caught One Life Left and each time just gets better and better; it's true to say they are not an immediately appealing band in that their songs don't come directly at you, they tend to grow up and around you like some mutant ivy plant taking over. The songs come across as luxurious Muse type warblings with the power of alt. rockers like Smashing Pumpkins, being able to chuck out angular riffs that skew into beautiful melodies with power and grace. In Simon Paylor they have an engaging frontman with a Matt Bellamy knack for striking out to reach those high notes which he does with ease adding something extra to the mix of majestic tunes and makes them stand out in the memory just a little more. Looks like they will be back at Messclean soon with a higher billing and well deserved it is too as it's good to see a band with a little substance over style.

Drifting in on a psychedelic haze is Messclean main man Nikolai and his Dreaming New Animals, what's the point in putting on a night if you can't give your own band a gig eh? In the past DNA have been guilty of leaving the earth plane and going off on one but tonight they keep one foot grounded and take a slightly more direct approach though that doesn't mean they take the 3 minute pop formula. DNA are a bad who ignore the current 'scene' and do what comes naturally to them which is soulful, psychedelic tinged rock that sprawls out colourfully behind them.

The strong point of DNA is that they are very good musicians so can take the music where ever they want to go, be it a solo that freaks out or a deeply funky bass line while the dual vocals of Robbie and Joe combine with wonderfully melodic results, both having fine voices that compliment each other perfectly and add that extra dimension to these wandering epic tunes. This is music to get lost in, it creates it's own little universe and takes you on a journey to here and nowhere, makes you dream then dance before flying you somewhere else...you get the picture? Music for those that like being transported somewhere else and if the new tune played at the end is anything to go by then we can expect some more challenging tunes very soon.

Revolution74 are a dynamic 5 piece who do one of those rare things and manage to blend dance beats, keyboards, rock and good tunes without getting caught between genres and sounding watered down. They basically produce good indie rock music that you can dance to, big buzzsaw pop hooks battle against rock guitars that drip with energy and while being accessible in sound they should still appeal to those that like their music on the alternative side. Considering the heat in the Frog is unbearable tonight, Revolution74 manage to give an excellent account of themselves and impress a fair few people with their catchy material as the sweat drips down the wall and off the people who have ventured down to the front.

The Exits are probably one of the best live bands in the area at the moment but tonight the technical gods are against them and doing their best to piss them off. As frustration gets to boiling point and threatens to spill over they pull themselves back from the edge and battle on regardless for an appreciative audience who lap them up anyway. For a lesser band lacking in tunes it would have been a disaster but when you have ready made anthems such as 'Time Will Let You Know' and the quite fantastic synth heavy 'Neon City' then the quality will shine through regardless of the venue limitations. While this won't go down a classic Exits gig, I think it is safe to say that they won over a few people, not least with their determination to get to the end of the set when it would have been so easy to just say 'fuck it' and walk off, but also with their fine sounds. Anyone who has read my previous reviews of The Exits will already know that I rate this bunch very highly, their distinctive mix of big synth bleeps and squelches that ride in harmony with crisp guitars and a potent blend of rock and dance beats are highly infectious and few bands can deliver a set full of instant classics with no filler material what so ever, but The Exits manage it with ease.

What should have been a fantastic gig with the band well up for a good night, turned into a bit of a nightmare for them but out front it still sounded good and whilst they may want to forget tonight ever happened it reinforced my belief that they are a band who can go a long way as the range and quality of material is second to none. Onwards and upwards as they say, better days will reach these boys soon.

So, perhaps not the ideal way to kick off the new late licence at Messclean but all the bands did themselves proud seeing as most of them played with monitor problems that prevented them hearing what they were doing so all credit to them for producing stirling sets and the usual Messclean DJs who provided some fine tunes between the bands and kept us all going up until the very end along with the best bar staff you could wish for...where else could I have a pint of cider waiting for me within seconds of walking in the door? Cheers guys!

White Rose Movement + The Violets + The Waysters - Joiners, Southampton. 05/03/06.

2006-03-12T16:29:00.000Z

Having caught The Waysters in Portsmouth a couple of weeks before and being blown away by them, this was a chance to see them in a proper venue and check that the previous gig hadn't been just a one off highlight. Usually the local group on the bottom of the bill for visiting bands expect to be ignored apart from mates but from the moment The Waysters take to the stage it is clear that they have managed to bring in a fair few of the punters themselves and I firmly believe that they left the stage with more fans than they began with. Tonight, at times, they look a little nervous but musically they hit the spot again, their modern indie guitar sound going down a treat with a vociferous crowd who treat them like headliners.

Once again they play well beyond their tender years, a couple of minor mistakes are worked over and generally go unnoticed. Once they hit their stride they relax and look like they enjoy being up on stage; the Joiners sound giving the rhythm section an extra boost that gives them a little swagger, they know they are good as the scratchy guitars deliver tense, danceable tunes and you see a couple of smiles appear. They really are a quite frighteningly talented bunch of songwriters, each track played is a winner, not a sign of filler tunes anywhere which is some feat for such a young band and if they continue to wow crowds like tonight then the sky really is the limit and the likes of Arctic Monkeys could have some serious contenders for hottest young band around. If you like all those NME type indie bands then I seriously recommend seeing this lot in a small venue while you can before they start raising the temperatures of those record label types.

The Violets are a completely different kettle of fish and more in keeping with the headliners, a trio that spill out over tumbling Siouxsie And The Banshees tribal beats while the guitarist makes up for the lack of a bass player by creating sheets of raw riffs in the vein of The Kills. They appear hampered by the small Joiners stage as they have to avoid clattering into one another whilst looking like they really want to let rip and go for it which gives you the feeling that they are holding back a tad.
Personally, I quite like their The Kills go goth sound but wouldn't mind catching them on a bigger stage where I feel they would look a bit more natural and the set would flow easier. Tonight the vocalist looks like she has taken up jogging on the spot and in some respects would have been better off just clinging to a mic stand and looking cool with her shock of blonde hair and dark braces over a white top keeping her leather skirt up, but you can't knock them for having plenty of energy. I had neither seen nor heard The Violets before and their dark sounds won me over and while they not be as majestic or sweeping as The Banshees there is something about the raw tribal feel of the music that tickles my fancy and judging by the amount of vinyl they were shifting after it looks like a fair few others were quite taken with them too.

White Rose Movement hark back to the 80s electro sound, they drag the sound of Joy Division into the modern day with big beats and anguished, angular guitars. Despite the seriousness of the onstage personas, the music is highly danceable and the place is heaving within minutes of them being on stage and there is no let up until the last discordant riff is wrung from the guitars. It's all very stark and powerful, with the singer having that Ian Curtis type intensity that makes you want to avoid eye contact as he throws angular shapes and shifts between hammering the keyboard and climbing the monitors. Without the guitars chiming away, giving the music a heavier punked up sound they would be classed as a heavy synth band mixing up the cold sounds of early Human League with the dark poetic side of Joy Division; but they succeed in sounding dated yet modern and prove to be a most enjoyable live experience for those that like a strict ringmaster and dark beats.

Trinity + The Dawn Chorus + Kurt Cooder + AngelGear - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 03/03/06.

2006-03-10T11:54:00.000Z

Another decent turn out at my home from home, Messclean, and it would appear that openers AngelGear, who are introduced as Angel Fire and have now changed their name to something else apparently just to confuse everyone, have brought a fair few of them down with them. What is clear from the off is that the band is made up of some seriously talented musicians who play well crafted folksy rock and while on a personal level it doesn't particularly float my boat, one can't help but admire their playing skills and the soulful twin female vocals that accompany them. There is no denying that the two feisty ladies fronting AngelGear are a joy to watch as they preen and pose like seasoned professionals, they add a spark to the band and have everyone eating out of their hands by the end of a successful set.

Next up is the local legend that is Kurt Cooder, man of mystery, urban poet with fingers in many pies and various other things if rumours are to be believed. Tonight he is playing solo, just him and his electric guitar and while at times he may be a bit too close to the bone for many to stomach you can't help but love his tales of Portsmouth and it's people. He gives us songs about dogging and fucking, Elm Grove and his daughter in a rollercoaster of emotions that bring to mind a deranged mix of Billy Bragg and John Cooper Clarke; at one point he invites someone on stage just to confirm he has the word 'cunt' tattooed behind his ear and then sings about being beaten up on the streets of Portsmouth. There is no doubt that this man has lived through each song scenario, soaking up the local life, the daily struggle to survive and he paints vivd images with his strong words and in your face tunes. It is an excellent set that is not just enjoyable musically but leaves one thinking over the lyrics and the stories told.

The Dawn Chorus are a more upbeat affair, bouncy indie rock in the vein of a more direct The Coral with some nice quirky twists and turns that delight the dedicated fans they have brought along with them; enough so to encourage one young lady to shout out "I want your babies!", now there's dedication for you! They are a confident young group who produce very tuneful material and I found myself tapping my foot along during many of their songs and you can't knock a band who has a bass player wearing a Brian Jonestown Massacre t-shirt can you? It could be argued that the local population took little notice at first but I think The Dawn Chorus won over a fair few new fans as the set progressed and those that like decent tunes would be well advised to keep an eye for them as their is plenty here to indicate that they will produce even better material in the future.

Trinity played Messclean once before and I pondered upon the wisdom of opening your set with a cover version but here they are doing it again and while it is a rip roaring run through 'This Is Love' by PJ Harvey that the good lady herself would be proud of, one can't help feel that it would be better served as an encore or set closer as it kind of casts a shadow over their own material. That said, Trinity are a sparkling female fronted indie trio who play a nice line in indie pop and while they may be a little plain to watch, the tunes glitter and sparkle in places and they are not beyond knocking out some fine songs of their own. Amy Morgan cuts a fine figure with her electric blue guitar and a voice to match while Mike Fowler and James Birt support her with a solid rhythm section on bass and drums respectively; what they lack in glamour they make up for in fine little noisy pop nuggets that ping around the room and considering they are from out of town they do a stirling job in keeping the crowd in until the bitter end which is testament to their hard work and tunes.

So go check them out on MySpace and have a listen, they are a bit shy and could do with having a few more people listen to those tasty little glittering tunes and just look at that guitar, what more could you ask for on a Friday night...probably helps that Amy is holding it mind, I think she took a little of each Messclean heart home with her!

The Strange Death Of Liberal England + You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons + Big Squirrel - The Thursday Thing @ The Registry. 02/03/06

2006-03-10T10:38:00.000Z

What more could you ask for on a Thursday night in Portsmouth than a friendly pub, beer and three excellent bands; two with ridiculously long names and one who make far too much noise than is humanly possible for two people to make so let's start with them shall we?

Big Squirrel are first up and if you've bothered reading any of these reviews before you will know that I love these two ramshackle practitioners of stripped down rock n roll, so it's hard not to repeat myself but they are fucking excellent. I've seen full bands make less noise than these two, who manage to squeeze every ounce of life out of an acoustic guitar and a drum kit. Steve spends half the night doing battle with the wall behind him as it encroaches on his wild arm movements while Tom could be doing anything as I can't actually see him, for as usual he is sat on a chair and such is their pulling power that it is impossible to get near enough to see past the sea of bodies or get close enough to take a decent photo. But whatever he is doing it sounds good because never has an acoustic guitar sounded so loud, so raw and so rock; Tom must have some kind of secret black box to plug in to, either that or he has fingers of electric because that knackered old guitar really shouldn't be throwing out such sounds but I'm glad it does as it makes Big Squirrel one of the hottest rock n roll bands out there at the moment. Just about every track has some kind of big hook that is strong enough to rip the flesh from your face, instantly addictive and highly memorable, so do yourself a favour, next time you see a gig with Big Squirrel on the bill, grab a big bag of nuts and get yourself down the front for the best rock n roll action you will see from a duo, just watch they don't bite you.

You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons are legends round these parts and quite rightly so with their spectacular tunes that draw on the legacy of Sabbath, Stooges and MC5 then fuck it over with rock n roll attitude and alcohol fumes. Tonight they are decked out in colourful robes, it makes them look even scarier as they deliver a crisp set that lacks some of the more discordant elements that sometimes take over their sets; it's about good, heads down rock n roll that piles through the throng like an express train waiting for no one. Yeah, there are a few minor gripes such as the drums being too dominant tonight or perhaps the guitars just need to go up a notch; perhaps the venue gear just couldn't cope with the black hole of noise that The Demons often conjure up and the swirls of feedback they emit as they wrangle with their instruments but even on a night when they don't leave you with bleeding ears and an exploding brain they carve a dark mark on each and every person present and poke a big stick in it. In some ways it is a pleasure to actually get to hear a few of the tunes for a change but that is the beauty of The Demons, you never quite know what to expect but one thing is for sure, they never fail to disappoint.

Having caused quite a stir with their recent demo, this is my first chance to catch The Strange Death Of Liberal England live and despite the limitations of the venue I'm not disappointed. SDOLE are one of those bands without a central focus point, members drift around and swap instruments, it works perfectly with their shifting tunes that come and go, in and out of focus. It's an ever changing landscape as glockenspiels tinkle, flute weaves in and out of crashing guitars and anguished wails drift from the front. They are a serious looking bunch, a band at odds with current trends, that follow their own path in their own little universe and it is a pleasure when they burst through into our world for brief glimpses of beautiful soundscapes and floaty angst. Tunes tend to drift into one another, expand and contract as light turns to shade, these are not tunes for the MTV generation who like a quick sugar fix; this is a band to contemplate, you need to let them soak into your skin, let it wash over you and around you, feel and taste the textures they create. Only then will you enjoy it, if you want something quick,easy and throwaway then look elsewhere but if you want something with substance and depth then SDOLE are just the band you are looking for.

The Waysters + Red Letter Day + Stoner + Dregs Of Society - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 24/02/06.

2006-02-27T12:19:00.000Z

A buzz is in the air tonight as Messclean re-launches itself into the stars and beyond and all that is missing is the late license but it's on the way. That's not going to stop the excitement from growing as a decent sized crowd gather and word spreads that a member of The Kooks is here, along with members of Earl and local bands Carmen Rosa, Nitrate and Sweetedge are all represented and I'm sure there were more that I missed. Could it be that Portsmouth is suddenly the place to be?!

Down to business then with the metal fiends in leather trousers that are Dregs Of Society, thrusting their crotches in any face that happens to glance their way. Yeah they sound like AC/DC slipping a big one to that little Axl Rose chap and his Guns N Roses but sometimes that is all you need; big classic riffs, flailing hair and the chance to rock out. When the vocalist leaves the stage you realise he has one of those mics without a lead and you spend the next half an hour watching him climb around the building, order drinks at the bar and generally get in peoples faces but it's only rock n roll and you've got to love it but there is that little bit in the back of your brain praying he won't make eye contact with you. What you see is what you get with The Dregs, no deep messages, just songs to get drunk to while another guitar solo whips off your head and you resist the urge to go headbang. The Dregs leave a smile on everyone's faces and they have warmed up the ever increasing crowd nicely.

Down from old London town are Stoner who boast to being influenced from everyone from Led Zep to The Police and the trio deliver a near perfect set of indie-pop-rock that does indeed draw on their many influences. Whilst trading in memorable tunes your mind picks out various sounds, a bit of the 80s flew past there, perhaps a bit of Duran Duran followed by some Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and some sweet northern soul vocals that soar and impress greatly with their range. They really are a tight unit, powerful yet hugely melodic and some damn fine tunes that should see them get radio airplay if there is any justice in the world, keep an eye out for a forthcoming single and I have no doubt that we will see them back down this way before long.

Another chapter in the life of Red Letter Day as they reveal new bass player Lisa and announce that this will be the last Pompey gig for guitarist Chris Perrin who has decided to move on. On tonight's show, the Day are in danger of becoming a bit glamorous with Lisa adding sparkle to the old boys set and Chris knocking out the riffs that I'm sure the band will miss.
In terms of performance, they produce another set of classic tunes filled with chant along anthems that Ade spits forth in his Pompey boot boy voice while the music side of things continues with the new rock element kicking the hell out of the street punk to wonderful effect while the dedicated followers let loose at the front of the stage.
Ade does his now expected turn of high leg kicking and generally cuddling every band member within striking distance and getting in their faces before pacing the stage like a hyperactive child bursting with energy. There is an energy and passion about RLD that many younger bands cannot match, they are a gang doing what they love and one hopes that after delivering one of the best albums of their long career, that they can replace Chris with someone who can continue to deliver the goods and if they fit in as well as Lisa then we should see plenty more action from these mainstays of the punk scene.

Are you ready for The Waysters? You'd better be, because if tonight is anything to go by these four 15 year old lads are going to explode all over the place very soon. I've heard a lot about these boys in the past couple of weeks but you kind of think, how can a group of schoolboys be any
good? Well, I have to say,that having met them that they seem like a decent set of blokes with their feet planted firmly on the ground and pleased to be in Portsmouth to do a gig and even more excited that the guitarist from The Kooks was here to check them out. I really didn't know what to expect when they hit the stage, the tracks on MySpace sound decent enough but nothing quite prepared me for the tunes that sprang forth when they hit the stage.
Demonstrating a maturity beyond their years, The Waysters delivered a lesson in perfect modern indie tunes that compare favorably with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party etc. as guitars slash and weave against a solid rhythm section that keep things tight but flowing. There is a good cutting edge to the sound and they possess a vocalist who can actually sing pretty well and whom sounds a lot older than he looks which can only help their cause. While there may be a certain lack of finesse to their stage presence as one might expect from a band just a few gigs in on the road to rock n roll and when talking seem a little embarrassed at being up there but I have no doubts that come the end of the year and a few more gigs they will develop into a force to be reckoned with.
So yeah, The Waysters lived up to the hype I had heard; they have appeared on the scene with a bag full of fantastic songs, the confidence to deliver them live with ease and a crowd eager to see what they can do as the full house at The Frog shows. They already have some decent support slots lined up and I predict that the name will be on many peoples lips in the coming months, so remember that name and if you were lucky enough to be at the gig tonight then you will be one of the lucky ones that can say you saw them first at a small venue.

So then, a terrific end to a fine evening and great to see Messclean full of eager music fans to witness the old and the new and we say welcome to Lisa and The Waysters boys and cheerio to Chris although I have a feeling he will pop up again very soon; just a shame that the young chaps couldn't join the after show party being held in a bar across the road but we downed a few beers for you!

Kuru + The Masters + Hybrasil + The Kundalinis - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 17/02/06.

2006-02-20T11:50:00.000Z

A good sized crowd have turned out to catch trio The Kundalinis, whose name invokes images of Kula Shaker and 60s throwbacks drowning in a sea of pyschedelia. In reality they combine funk and rock to varying degrees, some verging on commercial appeal but where they really hit the spot is when they go off on psychedelic tangents, flying off on big guitar riffs and soaring instrumentals accompanied by hypnotic beats. These heavier sections point the way forward as the lighter funk rock just pales in comparison and I can imagine then drifting off into the direction of the mighty Loop, all soundscapes and extended workouts; on a personal level a set that left me half cold and half gobsmacked.

Irish band Hybrasil turn out to be something of a revelation, the five piece delivering a quite spectacular mix of hooks, noise and beats.

From the bio on their website it would appear that they have a good deal of previous band experience and tonight it shows as they drown us in sugar coated pop hooks submerged beneath a flow of 80s inspired guitar noise that made the likes of My Bloody Valentine & The Jesus And Mary Chain spring to mind. Add into the mix some driving beats and bass and you have some fine foot stomping material that will no doubt reach a wider audience in the coming months. The keyboards are slightly lost tonight in the twin guitar attack, a shame as the recorded material features them quite prominently and adds a nice pop sheen to the tracks but this time they take a back seat.
Hybrasil are another of those bands that really deserve a bigger audience and unfortunately they suffer the recurring problem of being the outside band playing on a local bill and while they get a good response you feel that really they should have a mad little pit going in front of the stage but they plough on regardless and I for one thoroughly enjoyed their noise soaked pop and firmly recommend them to anyone with an interest in good indie music and if they don't get to play bigger gigs soon I shall be very surprised. All credit to the band for hanging around a while and especially drummer Neil and synth player Joe who stayed to the bitter end and forced themselves to do extra drinking at a local club with the Messclean mob; it was a pleasure gentlemen and I hope you got back to the hotel OK!

The Masters deliver their usual solid set of indie/rock/funk/ska and there lies the biggest problem, it always appears they are trying to cover too many bases. It does show that they are accomplished musicians and they are good at what they do but you always feel it lacks a focal point for the audience and that they are not going to attract any one type of fan which is OK if you like that general foot tapping experience while you down a pint but is hardly likely to inspire eternal devotion. And it does appear that people are generally drifting away during their set which is a shame for the last band who have ventured down from Essex.

Not that it appears to bother Kuru who take to the stage with a sparse remaining crowd to watch them and once again, another fine band that deserve a larger audience.

Kuru play epic alt.rock with hints of progressive mellowness and hardcore aggression, at times happy to slow things down and build the tension before unleashing powerful waves of heaviness but never straying far from a decent tune. Their man mountain of a frontman revealing a fine singing voice that can glide from gentle melodies to fierce metal attacks.

Whilst being a heavy band they shy away from becoming an out and out metal band and their strength lies in composing epic tracks that deliver melody with feeling, I guess they would appeal to those that like a sensitive side with their heaviness along the lines of Tool, Janes Addiction etc and while they are not quite at the same level as them yet I see no reason why they shouldn't blossom into a force to be reckoned with on the alt.rock scene. Shame on all the people who left early and missed some fine bands, hopefully this will soon be a thing of the past as Messclean up the publicity and try to make the locals realise that it is one of the few small venues in the town hosting regular gigs and needs their support on a weekly basis.

Photo test!

2006-02-19T17:50:00.000Z

Testing the photo upload...ahh technology...haven't got a clue!

Sunn O))) + Earth - Islington Academy, London. 10/02/06.

2006-02-13T22:07:00.000Z

Earth - They are the fathers of drone and they were on their game. That trombone is fucking awesome BRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR! Although I would have enjoyed it more if they weren't trying to compete with their doomy proteges and dark lords of drones SUNN O))

Now let me make this abundantly clear, this was not a gig, this was an endurance test. At no single point during their 'set' was anything even remotely enjoyable or fun. Now, I'm not a newcomer to extreme music but this pushed every boundary. First of all you had to compete with the sheer volume. I've been to one or two gigs in my time but this was on a completely different scale. How can I describe it? Well, you know that thing that happens to your ears when you only open one window of a car and there's that bassy flapping type sound that seems to push your head inwards. Well that's how the show started. But it lasted about 10 minutes and was turned up to an inhuman volume. I've been to loud shows before and I've been to sunn o)) shows before but this was something else entirely.

So after this 'intro', Sir Steven of O'Malley and Lord Greg of Anderson glided onto the zero-visibility dry-iced stage, clad in their hooded robes, and picked up their gloom axes. And thus beganeth the show. Holy fucking fuck. This is when people started dropping. The guy standing directly behind me, who had spent the whole night explaining his metal gig credentials to anyone who cared to listen, just flat passed out. His head hit my shoulder and he was out. He was moved to one side, the eternal drone lords before us oblivious to the carnage they were creating, oblivious to it or reveling in it I could not tell. The the chap next me knelt down in an attempt not to vomit. He succeeded, just. But his mate wasn't so lucky and had to rush off in quite a hurry. The loud, fat, obnoxious, drunk, ginger man who was standing directly in front of me and had generally irritated me for the entire evening now had both his hands firmly clamped over his ears and, after about half an hour he too had to leave the room. Then the vocalist came onto the stage. I don't know who this man is but he has face paint like Gene Simmons and a big fucking robe. Obviously. He repeatedly screamed two words in some unholy language, the man a mouthpiece for Satan himself. And what then? Well, it all got fucking louder didn't it. Greg Anderson summoning his minions with a cloven hoof, Steven O'Malley pointing to his next victim and hugging the wall of Sunn amps that decorated the stage, the 'vocalist' screaming prayers to some dark demon and the audience close to tears. The next half hour was painful. At every single point I wanted it to end but, at the same time wanted it to last forever. The climax eventually came after just over an hour. Both Dark Lords had now placed their axes on top of the wall of amps and were holding the amps, giving the appearance of some kind of sub-bass crucifixion. And then nothing. Except for an ache in every part of my body.

I can honestly say I have never had such an intense experience in music. It was completely crushing. I hope I never have to do it again, but I'm glad I did it once. Sunn O)) demonstrate how there are still boundaries to be pushed in music. Music can make you feel things both emotionally AND physically. They left the audience shit smeared, vomit stained, unconscious, deaf and bruised but no one could walk away from that saying they were unaffected. I didn't enjoy (in the traditional sense) one second of the show but feel a more complete person for seeing it. I can comprehensively state that you can stick all your fucking 'emo' up your arse. Music shouldn't always be 'easy on the ear'. It doesn't have to be 'fun' and it certainly doesn't have to have 'a good chorus'. Sometimes it has to hurt. Sometimes it has to leave you physically scarred. This is what music is all about. Truly breathtaking. Quite literally.
(AdDEM - Dragon Eye Morrison)

The Strokes + Shout Out Louds + The Ridgeway - Guildhall, Portsmouth. 04/02/06

2006-02-07T13:56:00.000Z

All credit to The Strokes for having a local band on first each night, not sure how or why the bands have been picked but I'm sure a few strings have been pulled to get The Ridgeway up there on stage and as is usual with the big gigs, they put the first band on almost as soon as the doors have been opened so people are still waiting to get in or trying to buy a pint so only a few get to see The Ridgeway in action. They have been on the local seen a fair while and last time I saw them they left me cold, they have updated their sound a bit now and the odd song has the echo of a Franz groove and a Bloc beat which is no bad thing mixed up with their fine vocal melodies. However, while they are an extremely competent band you can't help but think there are more exciting bands around; polished and well crafted songs they may be but they do not oooze rock n roll. They get a nice reception from those that have managed to get in early and I'm sure they will be well pleased with their performance.

Sweden's Shout Out Louds are a geeky looking bunch, resembling a bunch of misfits who were probably picked on at school, they sound like Robert Smith (The Cure) fronting a band playing pop versions of bands like Dinosaur Jnr and Pavement. I thoroughly enjoy them as they whip through a fascinating set of clap along tunes, distorted pop gems twisted into new shapes as shiny as the keyboard players party dress.

This gig sold out instantly and the place is packed with a mixture of older indie heads and young 'scene' types with the right clothes and hair all eager for their first glimpse of The Strokes who are greeted like gods as they launch into Modern Age and Juice Box. Now, I've never been a massive fan, I have the first couple of singles then lost interest and I get the same feeling tonight as I watch the pit in the middle going mad to everything while I find moments of pure joy (Last Nite and New York City Cops) and moments of mind numbing blandness. While they may have some outstanding tracks you also get the feeling they have a lot of filler material that just floats by in a wave of usual Strokes; they sound perfect on stage apart from the mumblings of a front man who looks like he can be barely bothered to reach for the mic but hey, it's all part of the image ands I'm sure the fans love it but to be honest, the band look bored beyond belief despite playing note perfect versions of 12:51, Hard To Explain, Reptilia and many more. They had a decent light show and projections to go with it which is probably just as well because without those distractions it would be one boring gig to watch. But like I say, I'm not a massive fan, I like the casual listen now and then and I'm sure if you asked 99% of the others here they would say it was fantastic but I'm not covinced and I like a little more substance with my style. A massive success for The Strokes then and a partially satisfying gig for me but as a wise man said to me afterwards, they are kind of like The Ramones in that much of their material sounds similar but if you like one song then you are likely to enjoy all of them, and I think he has hit the nail on the head there and he really enjoyed it!

Duri + Apnia + K'Junga + Satartia - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front. 27/01/06.

2006-02-07T13:07:00.000Z

A bit of a sad night this as headliners Duri have announced that they are splitting up and this will be their last gig but on the other hand we have a sparkling new band making their debut going by the name of Satartia. This fresh faced trio may lack that stage finesse that only comes with time (I remember seeing Duri a few years back when they looked almost embarrassed to be on stage!) but they do possess some promising sounds; there's a nice alternative rock feel about them, a hint of metal every now and then but the tunes are well put together, nice and catchy with a decent sound and once they have played live a few times the songs should start to grow and take on a life of their own as long as the band continue to let them flow. One minus point for the particularly horrid jumper the bass player was wearing; remember we have to look at you so unless you are going for that geeky look, throw the jumper out!

I've knocked K'Junga in the past for for their 'local band' name and I still don't like it but tonight, musically, they left their mark on me which is a step in the right direction. They are a band that have that chugging guitar thing going on, crunching metal with a hint of hardcore and rap metal, think along the lines of Faith No More in their heavier moments. While not particularly original, they play well and get the crowd moving with some decent grooves and heavy riffage. Yeah, tonight I enjoy them, perhaps I have my metal head on, sometimes you can see a band a few times and not really get them and then one night it just hits the right spot. Still hate the name though!

I have always enjoyed Apnia, their dark brooding metal having etched a little scar in my soul, so it is with some interest that I watch them tonight as they have added a male vocalist into the mix. Needless to say, the music is as grand and heavy as we would expect from these black hearted beings; the mellow sections now seeming quieter while the heavy segments appear to thrash out more, but a dark heart still beats behind it all. The vocals of Laura are still spine tingling and cold, very powerful and the melodic verses sung with Dan are working well, however you get the feeling that the male vocals are working only as a back up to Laura at the moment as you are waiting for a big male vocal to impact at any moment but it never really arrives and I hope that they exploit this more in the future and I really hope they drop the 'standing in the middle of the stage gazing at each other' thing when duetting as it smacks of The Carpenters (not that there is anything wrong with The Carpenters, quite like them but not in the middle of an Apnia gig!), I would rather see them at opposite ends of the stage but it is a minor gripe and I am sure things will progress the more they gig with the dual vocal thing. A fine gig anyway and the sounds are developing in an interesting manner.

So, here it is then, the final gig from Duri whom I never felt got the praise they deserved, probably because they were not trendy enough and went for the rock route with decent tunes. It almost brings a tear to the eye as you see Jaye taking to the stage with her now familiar war paint splashed across her cheek and tonight they deliver probably the best set they have ever done and it makes you wonder why they are jacking it in though there is no doubt in my mind that we will see them all back on the stage in one form or another before long as there is an obvious love for performing up there. It is always great seeing a band that just get you going, tunes that click instantly and that is/was the beauty of Duri, a coupling of heavy grinding riffs with big gorgeous pop hooks that stick to you like super glue and it is no surprise that they are called back for a couple of encores, they do look genuinely upset that it has come to an end and I'm sure they have their reasons but it is a shame to see a quality band bite the dust. So, thanks for the good tunes that you leave with us and the memories of a few cracking gigs and we hope to see you around making music sometime soon.

16 Bronsons + Arrowshy + Enochian Theory + Wilf - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front. 20/01/06

2006-02-07T11:47:00.000Z

Nice packed venue tonight, just the way it should be and with Messclean getting their organized heads on it looks like many more nights will be rammed so onwards and upwards as they say. First up tonight are Wilf, who waver precariously over the divide between commercial appeal and balls out rock, fine vocal melodies twist into pop hooks backed up by a tough mix of rock/punk and indie. Probably a tad too nice and sing along for a metal crowd and too heavy for the indie chin strokers, Wilf non the less deliver a highly pleasing set of tunes that would appeal to those that like mainstream acts such as Green Day and Feeder.

Enochian Theory are a wonder to behold, atmospheric progressive metal epics that trip out on extended journeys to another world, crescendi building and falling over into death metal grunts before giving way to gentle flows and ebbing keyboards. Highly intelligent music that comes over as one extended soundtrack is how it feels tonight with plenty of unexpected time changes and the fine vocal prowess of Ben Hayes a particular highlight in that he must be one of the finest rock warblers in the area with an ability to sing like an angel before releasing some kind of demonic possessed type belch. I'm not sure that the whole audience enjoyed it quite as much as me, those after a quick fix of energy would have been left wilting but those with a bent for artistic rock, Tool spring to mind, would have been as entranced as me.

With a vocalist stripped to the waist ready for action and a gaggle of girls at the front, Arrowshy hit the stage with their accessible modern metal pulling at the ends of emo shirt tails and giving them a good kicking. They are a band that know how to build a tune and charge the atmosphere, harsh blast beats collapsing under memorable choruses that invoke the crowd to sing along; a crowd made up of emo looking kids, metallers and trendy types more normally seen down the bars in Guildhall Walk with their nice shoes and distressed jeans but it shows the crossover appeal that Arrowshy have with their commercial edge. They go down well and are probably the band who get most attention tonight.

16 Bronsons are probably one of the reasons why Vanity Project exists, in that mainman Skif ran a small Pompey based record label called Elastic Fiction (go contact him via the website as I think he still has some tapes and compilation albums under his bed that he wants to dish out!) and put a couple of 16 Bronsons CDs out and did indeed manage them for a while before they went their separate ways. But now they are back a little older, probably a little wiser and possibly a bit more sober judging from the tales I have heard! The Bronsons are good old fashioned lout rock, foot to the floor rock n roll mainlined with punk adrenalin, drums clatter away while the bass pounds, keeping the ragged guitars in check while they deliver cracking tunes through the debris. Afterwards people were saying it's like they had never been away and all that was lacking was a drunken Skif and sidekick Leon dancing down the front and while that would have been a fine sight to behold it was pleasing enough to see a band cutting through the crap and delivering music just the way it should be done, upfront and down your throat washed down with a gallon of beer.

The Exits + Gilkicker + Lux Luther - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth.14/01/06.

2006-02-03T21:25:00.000Z

Exciting times for The Exits as heads are turning and here they are with a sell out crowd at The Wedgewood Rooms. The beer is flowing freely and the first of the hand picked support bands is Lux Luther, a band fronted by Ben formerly of major label types Ben&Jason who swoons his way through a number of well crafted tunes while playing his keyboard and the rest of the band move between bittersweet melodies and good old rocking out; they sound like Keane with a harder edge and have decent enough tunes to warrant a crack at the wider market which is the feeling you get when watching them, that they are aiming for higher things and the set tonight is well received and you see that they may just get somewhere.

Gilkicker are a local band relocated to London to try and make that breakthrough into the big time, they are a perfect support band in that those that have had a few beers and want to get down can dance along to the head nodding beat that hints at The Coral and a kind of cowboy twang. They have that head wobbling Beatles kind of thing going on that fits with the beats perfectly and they get the crowd moving, you get the feeling that they spend their days listening to 60s bands like The Kinks and letting the influence seep into their sounds although it can sound a bit samey after a while but as I said, perfect warm up material for those that like a dance.

The Exits have gone all professional and got a big posh backdrop and a new bass drum with their name on it and it all looks very good as a siren begins to wail and the packed crowd start to cheer as if this is some sort of chart topping band. It would appear that word is spreading about The Exits as people are pushed up against the barrier and the boys emerge looking confident and ready for action. I've reviewed the band several times before and I'm really pleased that they have pulled this gig off, they sound big and fantastic, the tunes need a big space and sound so the synth lines can vibrate your teeth and the beats infect your body. The crowd love it, some seem to know all the words to every song while others are just getting on down. Up on stage the band are looking and sounding confident with front man Ray swaggering around and who can blame him tonight with the reception they are getting; on the down side I feel that the sound wasn't quite as top notch as the last Wedge gig, the synths and guitars seemed to get a bit lost at times but it is a minor quibble as I don't think too many others noticed. As I said once before, I don't think there is a weak song in the set, each tune has a bright character of its own and there are plenty of big pop hooks in there to latch on to and swing around your brain until the cows come home and the new tune aired at the end sends the place wild, a sure fire club classic if ever I heard one and it deserves to be pressed up on 12" vinyl and pumped out at full volume. A well deserved headline gig and a great night, let's hope they go from strength to strength this year and in the mean time I will try to find something to slag off about them so their heads don't get too big.

The Deads + Ipanema + The Gents + Chief - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front. 13/01/06.

2006-02-03T14:43:00.000Z

Chief is front man Nik Karlberg of indie rockers Silicon Sun in his new solo guise, a man with an air of mystery and higher planes about him who looks like he does a lot of deep soul searching. Tonight is a gentle acoustic affair that in typical fashion is lost beneath a wave of chatter and bar noise, the opening notes a lilting oriental instrumental that sounds lovely from where I'm standing. He proceeds to strum some gentle tunes complimented by his strong voice but he battles to maintain the audiences interest, not because he is bad but because it is not immediate enough and people don't want to have to concentrate which is a shame as it would appear they are missing out on some decent tunes and fascinating lyrics. Perhaps a smaller venue would be more suitable next time or a dedicated acoustic evening where Chief will get the attention he deserves.

Some bands just deserve a good slagging off and I try not to do it but The Gents are pretty awful and you can almost hear the groans reverberate off the walls as another band cover Oasis and deliver piss weak indie. In their favour they are young and may yet see the error of their ways and while the energetic vocalist tries to ham it up with some attitude you just end up thinking 'twat' and going back to the bar. I really do hate putting bands down but you really do wonder how some bands come out of their rehearsal room thinking they are good!

No such problems for Ipanema who sort out the men from the boys, containing Wiz and Gerry who spent some time assaulting the venues around the UK in Mega City Four. The experience shows as the trio plug in and a big lush guitar sound hits us, dark indie rock dripping with bittersweet melodies and a throbbing pulse. They must wonder what they are doing here really, having to follow The Gents but they do not let that deter them as they rip through a fast paced set of impressive tunes that easily live up to the recent release on Boss Tuneage that has turned a few heads. It always amazes me that some bands have such problems down the Frog with sound, not being a technical person it all floats over me, but then along comes a band who know what they are doing, don't complain just plug in and sound massive. I was hoping a few more faces would turn up for this gig as they really missed a treat, it's not often you get a band of this quality in such a small venue and you kind of think that if they were a new band without all the history they would be filling the Wedgewood Rooms easily by now with the press fighting to get hold of them but alas, it is just us lucky few that have the delight of catching a band that are on fire in a live situation. If you like powerful indie rock, slightly on the dark side but with plenty of melody and passion then I strongly recommend Ipanema, the mini album is impressive but at a gig is where you really need to see them, you won't regret it.

To follow on from such a good band is a big task and The Deads have a damn good go at letting rip with their beat infected rock. They too suffered the curse of technical problems as their sax could not be heard and I've seen them do better gigs where they feed off positive audiences but tonight they are having an uphill struggle as the vocalist looks like he is having a 50,000 volt fit on the stage before swearing at the audience and rolling around on the floor in front of the stage. It is quite a sight and highly unlikely to get anyone right down the front unless they are mad or totally under the influence but it all adds to The Deads experience. Tonight it doesn't happen for them but on their day they can an electrifying band, roll on the next gig

Night Of Treason + Slippery Jack - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 06/01/06.

2006-02-03T14:23:00.000Z

Now, I'm happy to admit that I'm not a big fan of covers bands and would rather see some fresh original talent but as I have become part of the furniture down at Messclean I feel it's only fair to pass the odd comment on the night. Slippery Jack take all the usual tunes such as Paint It Black, Stepping Stone, That's Entertainment etc and do some decent versions, they are good muscians and it's quite enjoyable in that not having to really pay attention kind of way.

Night Of Treason have agreed to do two sets tonight as one band dropped out so all credit to them as they dive into the likes of New Rose and Pretty Vacant. They play each song with gusto and a love for the material they are covering despite a sluggish post xmas/new year audience small in number. They do well by covering some of the more obscure material and one can't slam them for their enthusiasm and commitment, once again a very competent band doing decent covers.

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

2006-02-03T13:37:00.000Z

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.

Filthy Xxxxmas ft Dragon Eye Morrison + Little London + Mister Doom + Sons Of Cain - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 23/12/05

2006-02-03T11:52:00.000Z

A final get together for the near legendary Filth Trinity, it's nearly Christmas and we've got a bit of a 'local crew' works drink get together so this night was always destined to be a little messy and just a bit hazy to the memory as the taking notes went out the window after the fourth pint of cider!

Sons Of Cain have appeared from nowhere, no one seems to know who they are or where they come from and I can find no trace on the web (though I notice they are playing Messclean again in March), they are a perfect starter for the filthy night as they dive headfirst into a set of groove laden dirt rock. Hardcore fury bangs heads with stoner wipe outs, crust coated fingers work magic on the guitars as they slay us with some fine tunes riddled with aggression and power, a welcome addition to the filth trinity and a pleasant surprise to find such a good band on first.

Having seen Mister Doom make their debut a couple of years back with some shuddering doom encrusted rock, it has been a pleasure to see them transforming into some kind of metallic stoner superbeast as they weld classic metal shapes to drawn out stoner plains moving back and forth between them licking at the sharp edges and cutting through with shattered glass slicing people up as they power on. Admittedly, the dodgy Santa outfits are a bit of a distraction tonight especially the black PVC one but these boys get better and better each time I see them and I look forward to seeing where the superbeast stops off next.

Already the cider is soaking my brain as Little London hit on us with their rock n roll. Possibly my favourite Pompey band, they never fail to deliver a cracking set and as one of Mister Doom sits on a chair in front of them being lap danced by four young ladies you realize just how damn sexy the music is. It's quite possible that they slip in a QOTSA cover next to a couple of Therapy? tunes which kind of indicates where their hearts lie, down a dark alley with a bottle of Jack, a bag full of drugs and some loose women. It's rousing stuff and front man Dev is being his usual cheeky self as he announces from the stage that we all need a bit of pussy as he watches the lap dance before he catches my eye and says Grebo needs some pussy before mumbling something about me being married and we won't go there; luckily Mrs.G standing next to me sees the funny side and you've got to love them, a real good time band and they are on top form tonight.

At this point, free pints of cider keep arriving so it all goes a bit vague from here, I remember Dragon Eye Morrison spewing out molten rocket fuelled metal and their Christmas hats flying off within a few seconds as they let rip with pummeling riffs, frontman Adam trying to destroy everything around him as usual as the guitar is used and abused. A vague recollection of Pantera being covered and technical mishaps but fuck it, from what I remember it was fantastic and everyone had a great time, a perfect end to a year of gigging. Apologies to anyone I stumbled into, hugged, mumbled complete nonsense to or tried to have sex with, it was just one of those nights!

Deville + Lucie & The Cubez - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 16/12/05.

2006-02-03T11:33:00.000Z

One of those nights where bands pull out at the last moment or simply don't turn up so we are left with just two bands tonight and first up are Lucie & The Cubez who struggle from the off. They are only at the early stages of their live experience and it badly shows as 'Lucie' looks awkward on stage and while she possesses a decent voice it is hidden behind a timid stage manner and bad posture for a singer so rather than opening up it's hidden away and sung to the floor. Musically it is slightly plodding light rock with a distinct lack of tunes, the band relying on the half decent voice to carry them and it just doesn't work as they lack a real spark. Perhaps in the future it will come together but they are going to need a stronger set if they are to make a break through.

No lack of confidence with Deville as they deliver another fast paced set of yob rock and brattish behaviour. The normal rowdy following are absent tonight for some reason so it appears the band don't quite get enough feedback to react to so it won't go down as a classic Deville gig but the new songs played tonight are punked up anthems and point to a slight shift in direction that should be lapped up when the hoards return. There is no doubt that Deville are a band, much like The Libertines/Baby Shambles fiasco, that one is going to love or hate, no middle ground here. The personality of the band is integral to the sound and you can't enjoy the sounds unless you like the band and vice versa, if you see them and think twats you are going to hate them which is no bad in these times of safe Coldplay Dad Indie rock. Having witnessed these boys a few times now, it becomes clear that their love for rock n roll is genuine and they want to live it to the full, they've grown on me and while they not be the most original band around you can't knock their commitment to the cause.

The Human League + Hoboken - Guildhall, Southampton. 11/12/05.

2006-02-02T14:20:00.000Z

When I got a call to go and do local crew work at this gig I jumped at the chance and even did the stop on where you remain there all day just so I could watch the gig. I've loved The Human League since I was at school when I had a major crush on the two League ladies; I admit I wasn't in on them right at the start when they were considered the cutting edge of electronic artiness but we had a fine record shop in Leighton Buzzard where I was able to purchase all my vinyl from Discharge, GBH to Gene Loves Jezebel and The March Violets. This is where I picked up my first couple of HL 12" singles, these being Sound Of The Crowd and Love Action and while I did lose them for a while I have come back to loving them via a Greatest Hits CD so this was a gig not to be missed.

So it was an early start with plenty of setting gear up, a nice white futuristic stage design with lights spelling out words and pictures as a back drop and then my first highlight of the day seeing Joanne and Susanne wander in to the catering area and my heart did a little skip and a jump, nice as pie they were and very down to earth and I didn't say a word!
Second highlight comes when Phil Oakey (looking pretty good for his age I may add!) walks in and sits a couple of seats away and the band on stage start their soundcheck and they kick of with Being Boiled, my favourite HL song and the hairs stand up on my arm as it sounds wonderful with these big synth sounds filling the empty hall and I feel like a little kid at christmas time.
Then it's a case of hanging around until showtime and I watch the odd collection of punters arrive, a real mixture of age groups and types from Goths to grannies and the rush for the barrier is quite spectacular and totally unexpected! Support band Hoboken have obviously been chosen carefully, a nice electronic band who look a little geeky with their computer screen and synth drums. They hark back to the 80s but also manage to sound modern, someone keeps shouting out Kraftwerk at them but that is wide of the mark as there is a more human element to them; I'm thinking more Ultravox meets early Depeche Mode with decent tunes and a confidence that allows the front man to stroll around the stage looking like a modern day Midge Ure while leaving the stage to get a drink and all they really need is a mass of screaming girls when he walks back on! They are an interesting band and as I help them clear the equipment from the stage I find they are perfect gentlemen as we don't always get a thankyou for lugging stuff about. Definitely ones to check out if you like abit of retro electronic/new wave/romantic action.

As I'm hanging about backstage for my next job of pulling a large curtain off the stage that will drop when THL music kicks in, I catch a glimpse of the band and some PVC and my pulse goes through the roof and as soon as that curtain is packed I'm out and down the front with a big stupid grin on my face. This is a set of greatest hits as Phil is aiming to move the band on judging by an interview I read recently, and they all sound fantastic. Make no mistake here, this isn't the three vocalists plus a backing band, this a fully functioning Human League and as Tell Me When sparkles into action you just know it's going to be a great gig. They cover later material such as Louise and Heart Like Wheel that sound much better live than on record though there is no denying they have a knack for writing perfect pop hits; earlier tracks like the legendary Things That Dreams Are Made Of and Empire State Human that sound as fresh as ever while the guitars are brought out for the underrated Lebanon.
There are a couple of costume changes and the ladies get to sing a couple of songs and do there dodgy disco dancing while Phil roams the stage, still the heart throb and loving every second of it. The packed audience love every second also and as I look around there are people singing along, hugging each other and having a great time which is what it should all be about. They close on Fascination and Don't You Want Me but there is no way they are leaving without an encore so they come back to do Being Boiled and end with Electric Dreams. We don't want it to end but they have done twenty songs, each one a true classic and this has to be one of my gigs of the year, definitely the most enjoyable.
I spend the next couple of hours loading the gear out but this time feeling wide awake and happy to be doing it after such a great gig, I think some of the younger lads think I'm a bit strange as they just think of THL as some old 80s band without realising just how cutting edge they were and what perfect pop hits they write.

Your Heart Kills + Second Monday + 9 Months Waiting - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 09/12/05.

2006-02-02T13:55:00.000Z

One of those nights where everyone decided to stay at home for whatever reason which always makes for a poor atmosphere but you can't fault the bands performance wise as they get stuck in. 9 Months waiting come from the emo/screamo end of the spectrum which is enough to put you off before starting and despite looking like they have been to the same emo school of guitar shape throwing as all the other emo bands they sound pretty decent, angular emo rock with melodic sections without being wimpy. They reminded me of a less dramatic At The Drive-In but they do try to liven up the place, though at times they verge on the irritating but the nice touches in the music just about outweigh the negatives.

With some of the bands complaining because their fans couldn't get in as they were under age for the pub the evening was in danger of becoming a wash out so it was just as well that Second Monday were outstanding, an emo heart with layers of thick alt.rock and a slightly more accessible sound and there is something to be said for a little substance over style. This impressive five piece hit a nice groove and beef it up with some keyboard action although there is a tendency to slip in some of those whiney emo vocals that annoy me so much. they have anice edge though and you kind of feel there is a big epic rock band just waiting to burst out in the future.

Your Heart Kills while still having an emo flavour are more direct and therefore more satisfying with a hearty dual vocal thing going on between a bear with a sore head and some light melodies. They have a confident full sound with those odd time changes just to throw you and delight the emo kids and while they are not up to challenging Second Monday they produce a solid set while not being spectacular.

The Torpedoes + One LIfe Left + My Retro Console + If Destroyed Still True - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 02/12/05.

2006-02-02T12:49:00.000Z

It is always a treat to have an opening band who have that wow factor and If Destroyed Still True are a quite magnificent band. They conjure up sounds that hint at country twangs, hushed melodies that get wiped out by bursts of alt.rock noise, a sparkling yet dense sound like a black hole collapsing in on itself dragging stars with it kicking and screaming. A dual guitar and vocal attack works really well and they weave and entwine in intelligent ways to create a brooding heaviness wrapped up in power and melody; an impressive start to the night.

My Retro Console (who have since had a name change...I will come back with it! KIDidiot is now the name) on the other hand are a sunshine band, a trio with perky punk pop tunes and an abundance of humour that bring a smile to your face and a need to tap your foot. They are masters of perfect pop hooks and quirky lyrics and are deserving of a larger audience with their sound perched just on the edge of MTV rotation. If you need cheering up then go see these boys as you will leave with a spring in your step and a smile on your face.

Some bands just float by you and One Life left nearly did that tonight; if I hadn't been paying attention like 90% of the others who drifted back to the bar I would have missed this treat. This is a band who grow on you, what sounds like bland indie music actually evolves into some grand epics that hint of a love of Muse and dramatic sweeps of guitar. The vocalist has a decent range and can hit the high notes well and despite looking like an odd misfit type band they work surprisingly well together to produce an original and compelling set. They won me over in the end, but a band that need your full attention in a live situation.

The problem with local nights is that you catch the same bands evry few months and it becomes difficult to think of new things to say; The Torpedoes I have seen several times, clad in black and pumping out 80s tinged rock n roll with Goth undertows and I thoroughly enjoy them each time I come across them. They are one of those bands that never change and will never be on the 'hip' list but are always solid and deliver another good set of head down rock n groove. I love it but it would sound so much better with a big crowd and some atmosphere.

Turbonegro + Juliette & The Licks - Koko, London. 30/11/05.

2006-02-02T12:13:00.000Z

This gig had caused a fair bit of excitement within the Portsmouth Turbojugend as our esteemed president Johnny 'Spankmaster' H. had been enlisted by Turbonegro to be soundman for the European tour and we know he likes it loud so we all ventured up for this event arriving in time for a few pints in the pub round the corner where we eyed up Happy Tom and drummer Chris Summers before Johnny joined us and informed the excited rabble that the sound in Koko was shit before Tom and Chris came over to say Hi which made us jugends very happy.

Of course, the venue is awash with denim clad recruits drinking the very expensive beer, Â£4 for a can of cider...what is that all about? We have the pleasant task of watching Juliette & The Licks first, fronted by 'film star' Juliette Lewis who makes a damn fine rock vocalist kitted out in a skin hugging white outfit and letting rip with some meaty vocals and rock theatrics. The band are solid if a little unspectacular but they provide some decent rock n roll with a fist full of tunes and lets face it, most of us are just watching Juliette anyway as she whirls around the stage headbanging and throwing herself into the crowd. It's a decent set that keeps the denim demons happy for 45 minutes and they get a good reception.

I manage to get to the second row for the start of Turbonegro, right in front of Euroboy and Pal Pot with his knackered keyboard and the sound is crystal clear, don't know what Johnny was worried about! Now, I have no idea what order any of the songs came in but our beloved band delivered a set of old and recent classics, each one a chant a long anthem fuelled by the power of rock n roll death punk, several hundred denim clad brothers and sisters sweating and singing everyword as Uncle Hank conducts from the stage, a fine figure of a man. As if meeting Tom & Chris wasn't enough I get to support a Euroboy foot as he does his crowd solo and I'm a happy little Jugend tonight. It really doesn't matter what songs are played at the end of the day as this is about a coming together of like minded souls who want to have a damn fine night out listening to decent rock n roll music with one of the best live bands out there. It goes without saying that the night ends with everyone singing "I got erection" as loud as possible before the Greek dancing kicks in to clear the pit. A magnificent night of denim action from the best band in the world right now...well, according to me anyway and my fellow Jugends and you don't want to argue with that.

Cold Machine + Encyclopedia + 5 Star Loser + Nitrate - Messclean@ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 25/11/05.

2006-01-26T12:35:00.000Z

Nitrate have been lurking around the Portsmouth scene for some time now, quietly going about their business and popping out of the woodwork for the odd gig before going back into Nitrate world. Having seen them several times now you would think it would be a bit old hat but they always surprise me with the leaps forward they take and the improvements they make to their sound. They have that old new wave vibe about them peppered with sparkling pop punk, a bit Banshees, a bit Patti Smith but never less than catchy and smile inducing and with front lady Lorna strapping on a guitar tonight she looks confident and sets a few temperatures rising as they deliver a shower of glittering hooks.

Over from America on a tour of toilet venues are 5 Star Loser, a trio churning out standard pop punk in the vein if Green Day. While there is nothing drastically wrong with them they fail to set the place alight purely because we have heard it all before and unless they come up with something a little more original they will forever be playing small toilet venues. That's not to say they can't play Ok and they put in 100% despite the majority of people ignoring them so it's only fair to give them a polite clap at the end of each familiar tune and to cap it all they cover Green Day which just about sums it up.

Far more interesting are Encyclopedia who have appeared from nowhere and have gone back to nowhere leaving no details of websites or such trivialities. Two chaps, two guitars and some kind of drum machine along with a backing track that produce a fine if somewhat odd set that ranges from twee indie vocals to Thin Lizzy style riffing via cheesy keyboards. Just seeing someone on stage in a Charger T-shirt singing quirky pop songs is bizarre enough and for the vast majority the bar looms but us VP types like the weird and the wonderful and this is fantastic. I would love to point you in the right direction but I guess you'll just have to keep an eye out and see if they emerge from their cocoon again.

Headliners Cold Machine pitch themselves between metal/indie and good old rock with a healthy dose of grunge mixed in but perhaps that explains why a small crowd is in. With no obvious sound to focus on it's possible that people overlook them as not being their thing when in fact they produce good quality rock music that manages to be both catchy and heavy; workman like is the word I'm looking for and there is nothing wrong with that, afterall, where would our favourite football teams be without those unsung heroes, and while they not get the screaming girls they do justify a second listen.

Motorhead + In Flames - Guildhall, Southampton. 23/11/05

2006-01-26T12:06:00.000Z

Had a call the day before to go do local crew at this so I was hardly likely to turn it down but when I got there and saw how much PA needed unloading I nearly had second thoughts! At one point the whole of the floorspace in the Guildhall was covered in speakers so I kind of had a feeling that it was going to be loud; several hours later it was time for a quick journey back to Portsmouth to rest the aching limbs before grabbing a lift back early (cheers Dan) to see the Head. We arrived too late to catch Girlschool but came in as In Flames were thundering out some modern tribal sounding metal, plenty of power and solid riffing to inspire synchronized headbanging and it seemed to be going down well in the pit. I like my metal but at times find bands like In Flames lose interest after a while, perhaps because I do not know the material but it all tends to blur into one sonic blast and while it's a blast that could rip your head off and you have to admire the power you do wonder if in 30 years they will still be going like the headliners or if anyone will remember them.

Most are here to see Motorhead yet again, celebrating 30 years on the road and still going strong. You know what to expect and on this last show of the tour they crank up the sound and play good honest rock n roll music, even with Lemmy nursing a rough throat (as if you'd notice!) they rip through a set of old and new opening with Dr Rock and Stay Clean. Classics such as Over The Top, Love Me Like A Reptile, No Class, Ramones, Brazil are aired with Lemmy doing the panto bit and asking if we can hear them before turning the knobs up yet again to teeth rattling volume. The pairing of Killed By Death and my personal favourite, Iron Fist, close the show on a high before they take to the stage for an acoustic encore of Whore House Blues that works really well and shows that they can cut it even with out all the power and volume before launching into the overplayed but still awesome Ace Of Spades with the place going nuts and closing with Overkill. I fully expect to see Motorhead still going strong in another 30 years if Lemmy gets that far, I don't think the man can do anything else but play rock music and frankly no one does it quite as well as Motorhead. It may be just another of their endless gigs to the band but try telling that to the beer and sweat drenched crowd leaving the Guildhall with smiles and the smell of rock in their nostrils.
I have to then spend several hours packing all the gear away but I'm happy because I get a Motorhead plectrum that I find on the stage and we get lovely Motorhead Local Crew t-shirts to wear with pride and I've seen the best rock band in the world again and I got paid for being there. Life is good sometimes.

Days In December + Fivemiledrive + Psyattica + Set In Tears - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 18/11/05.

2005-11-22T13:39:00.000Z

Tonight is a bit of an emo cum post hardcore night at The Frog so I'm surrounded by plenty of 'scene' types, pretty boys and girls with too much time to spend on their hair and Phil Oakey gone wrong fringes whilst I seem to be the only one who understands the function of a belt and prefer not to show off my underwear to whomever may have the misfortune of standing behind me; but hey, I'm an oldie and they probably think I'm the father of someone lurking around in the background!

Set In Tears have already taken to the stage by the time I arrive and I'm met by some molten slabs of intensity that combine delicate melodies offset by crushing grooves and blastbeats while vocals are half growled, half screeched. They are an energetic bunch and whilst all this emo/post/melodic hardcore isn't my exact cup of tea I can appreciate that Set In Tears are a fine band within this particular genre and they get the evening off to a flying start.

Next up are Psyattica whom I witnessed playing at the slightly larger Wedgewood Rooms a few weeks back and while they played well left me a bit cold but tonight, up close and personal I quite enjoyed them. It has to be said that they look far too young to have crafted such a fine set of rock tunes and age should see them turn into heavyweight contenders. Of all the bands tonight one can see this fresh faced band having the biggest impact as they write modern classic rock tunes with big hooks and are unafraid to stick in a few soaring guitar solos. As the set progresses they loosen up and really hit their stride coming over as confident but down to earth types and they certainly win the crowd over.

Fivemiledrive sound better on a small stage when the sound is dirty, raw and in your face. Once again we are in emo/melodic hardcore territory but they do it very well and have developed quite a following around these parts. Musically it's jarring riffs fighting it out with huge waves of melodic guitar work over fast beats; the voice still irritates me as do most vocalists within this type of music as they always sound whiney...I suppose I'm just more of a fan of your Lemmy type guttural growl but that is just personal taste as Fivemiledrive are very popular and despite a few sound problems deliver a confident and well received set.

Looking over on Days In December website it would appear that they have been picking up some decent support slots so perhaps gigs like these will become a thing of the past for them soon and their stage craft certainly reflects their experience of bigger shows. They work it like professionals engaging the energetic crowd from the start who all seem to know the songs and words and remain mobile throughout the set. Their particular flavour of emo/hardcore has a harder edge which makes the sound a little more direct and could see them appeal to a more metal crowd as well as the emo kids. This is a band who know where they want to be and who they want to be as they deliver a spot on set of blistering tunes that has The Frog rocking to it's very foundations.

Techno Notice + Narco + The Skies + Shadowcast - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 11/11/05

2005-11-15T11:28:00.000Z

Some gigs, for whatever reason, just don't work and tonight is one of those nights where you feel that staying at home may have been a better choice. Shadowcast have at least dropped the bland cover versions and beefed up their indie guitar sound so they hit a bit harder, unfortunately the vocalist seems to have got stuck in shouting mode which is a shame as I seem to remember him having a decent voice last time but at least they are moving in the right direction and it is still early days.

The Skies have been on the Pompey scene for a while but they just don't do anything for me, they seem to be stuck on that well worn path between The Beatles and Oasis doing jangly indie but adding nothing new to the mix; add into this some sloppy playing tonight and an out of tune bass and you have a band that come across as less than appealing and a feeling that you've seen it all before.

Oxford based Narco are a brief ray of light in that they at least look like they may be interesting and have the look of a band who want to go places. They play catchy groove laden indie pop with a big slightly cheesy organ sound dominating proceedings but at least it is fun and gets the old foot tapping at times. You kind of feel that they are not at 100% tonight, who can blame them and the sound isn't top notch; if they are playing round your way in a big venue then they are probably worth checking out as are the tunes on their website.

Techno Notice are as bad as the name suggests, fronted by a chap in a purple fluffy jacket and hat who looks like he has just emerged from a rave club circa the late 80s they attempt to play dub infused dance with added guitars. Unfortunately each member sounds like they are playing a different song and they never really get it together, when it vaguely sounds like a complete band it is weak crusty dub dance (done much better by other Pompey dub types Wiservice).Mind you they have plenty of mates who have come down who seem to find it enjoyable but one can't help but wonder if they are on something other than just beer as they do not seem to notice just how bad Techno Notice are tonight!

Cardiacs + Johnny4 - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. 07/11/05.

2005-11-15T10:53:00.000Z

Quite why Johnny4 are supporting Cardiacs is beyond me, four pretty boys playing middle of the road indie rock is not what you would expect but here they are and after only one song in my mate, Johnny Spankmaster, has gone off to find people to talk to outside. It's pleasant enough MTV music that has a few heads and feet tapping but it just washes over me and nothing has lodged itself in my memory apart from dullness.

When it comes to Cardiacs, VP mainman Skif is the loyal fan and I'm sure a much more informed review of the London gig will be up on the main site soon; I'm more of the looking in at the window thinking that looks interesting type of fan with only one Cardiacs album in my collection. But this was just one of those gigs you have to go to, the Cardiacs family were out in force from youngsters to oldies, even whole families kitted out in t-shirts that gives the gig an air of being at a family event...It may be a slightly odd event, some kind of weird nightmare family funeral complete with creepy uncles dressed in black who call us wankers, but a family event nonetheless. They take to the stage in a theatrical way, surrounded by smoke and head straight in to a set that would last for near on two hours; they manage to squeeze on all nine members at one point while the straight faced female backing singers/percussionists come and go as needed or sit expressionless on stools behind the band. It's hard to describe the music, you either love it or hate it, nightmare disintegrating fairground music with punk n roll guitars while Jim Smith on bass looks like he has wandered on to the wrong stage in search of some big band type thing. Meanwhile Tim Smith veers between charming and just plain strange as he babbles away between songs constantly wearing a very large overcoat as if he's just left work at the bank. It's all part of their charm and it's easy to see why after nearly thirty years they still have a fanatical following, I spend the gig entranced down the front, others know the words to every song and go mad in the middle but not one person left this gig without a big smile on their face. Two hours of pure genius and top tunes in the company of the strangest family I have ever met but already I feel enormous love for these odd fellows.

Tinnitus + Crydebris + Olmec Diagram + To Every End - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 04/11/05.

2005-11-15T10:15:00.000Z

It's a busy night as those attending a Bloodhound Gig upstairs at The Pyramids pop in for a pre- gig cheap beer and once again when their expensive PA packs up and the gig is cancelled they come crawling back to see some decent bands play great music through a cheap PA; some of them look a bit gobsmacked that anything so good could be happening on such a small scale. On first are To Every End making their debut; they weave their way through three impressive numbers that stretch out and bend back on themselves with melodies dripping through blastbeats as guitars grind away for all they are worth. It's progressive but in the best possible way, retaining a hardcore metallic edge while still being experimental; it's an impressive debut and bodes well for their future.

Olmec Diagram have ventured up from Poole and there are a fair few people here to see them with much interest having been whipped up via MySpace. The music is technical brutality, a burst of what I shall call 'lunge-core', music that makes you want to bend over double and headbutt the floor as you lunge back and forth to the ever building layers of noise. There is no riffing as such, fingers work up and down the guitars in a blur of activity as the drums pummel away like there is no tomorrow and with a strong frontman on board they are a formidable group. They produce a tight, well drilled set that is impressive to watch and I for one look forward to their next visit and seeing what unfolds for this noise machine.

It would take a special band to follow OD and London based Crydebris are just the chaps to do it. The first thing I have written down in my little notebook is "Fucking amazing" which is all I need to say really, one of the best bands I have seen grace the stage at Messclean. Crydebris are a quite excellent five piece that play what can only be described as My Bloody Valentine play Jazzcore via thrash; I'm sure there is some technical name for it, experimental post hardcore or such like but some bands go beyond such labels and as their intense wall of sound develops into mutating forms you realise that they are a special band. The music is intricate but joins together to create MBV type noise waves only with less of a dreamy feel as hardcore rage and metal noise take a hold and the members whirl and flail as if possessed by demons as they crank out this awsesome noise jazz freak out. Quite what the Bloodhound Gang fans thought of this I don't know but I hope it opened up their eyes as to what heavy music should be about and made them realise just how lightweight their metal heroes are.

All of this kind of leaves Tinnitus in an awkward spot as they would have to be fantastic to overshadow the previous two bands; they do a grand job but frankly their chugging metal sounds flat and one dimensional after the lively textures that have gone before. There is nothing particularly wrong with them, on any other bill they would hold their own and any metal head would find themselves nodding along but they just lack that extra something that really grabs your attention tonight.

My Chemical Romance + Every Time I Die + Drive By - Guildhall, Portsmouth. 02/11/05.

2005-11-04T14:13:00.000Z

The beauty of doing local crew work at gigs is that you can use your pass to get into a gig that you wouldn't want to pay £15 or whatever to attend and that is exactly what I do tonight after spending five hours unloading far too many lights and lifting heavy PA stuff. I wanted to check out Every Time I Die so headed back early and using the handy pass avoided the snake like mass of teenagers waiting to get in and was able to catch the opening act Drive By, a pleasant bunch of chaps who do prime pop punk ripe for MTV. Unfortunately much of the what should be a crunching guitar attack is lost beneath a mighty bass rumble that I find irritating as the sound echoes around the Guildhall, one of the many reason why I hate attending large concerts. However, they manage to get quite a pit going amongst the early birds and if they get the luck of the draw the largely teenage crowd will be able to see them all over MTV in the coming months.

Every Time I Die have been gaining a fair bit of attention recently and it's easy to see why as they sound excellent tonight. Here is a band who know how to work a large stage and audience as they run around non-stop and deliver a pile driving mash up of a set. ETID look like they have been put together from a sophisticated indie band with the singer wearing a brown velvet jacket, nice jeans and brown shoes & standard indie guitar player while the others look like they've been dragged from a beer drinking, meat head metal band. But combined they make an amazing blast of energy, stoner grooves give way to classic metal riffing before firing off into epileptic blast beats and spasmodic rhythms with a pure hardcore heart. It's adrenalin pumping fists in the air modern metal and they manage to create an enormous pit in the middle and any one walking in at this moment would think that ETID were the headlining band such is their swagger and power. Expect to hear a whole lot more about this fine band as they look like they could be the new heroes on the block; an awesome display of power and control and skullcrushing tunes.

I feel like I'm at some kind of teen pop concert when My Chemical Romance take to the stage, the screams are ear splitting and it's at this point you notice that most of the crowd are probably under 18 bar a few mums and dads waiting at the back and you realise that MCR have cornered the market in dark teenage angst and merchandise marketing. They come on stage to a tune by The Smiths clad in black, the lead singer with a priest outfit on, two big gothic arches looming in the background with white backgrounds so various images can be projected on to them and a drum riser centre stage looking like a massive pulpit to preach from which is exactly what MCR do. Musically they play accessible dark metal with titles like Sorrows, Cemetery Drive, Deathwish and Ghost; they play it well and know their audience who worship them. The sound is once again poor, bass heavy so that guitars are lost and the drums are just not powerful enough which is a shame because to non-fans like myself it is difficult to pick out anything to grab hold of and enjoy, any moments of subtlety found in their recordings are completely lost but the seething mass of bodies down the front don't seem to notice as they prey at the feet of their dark heroes and spend a fortune on merchandise. No doubt the best gig in the world to their fans, as for me, I'm not a big fan of their live sound though they do put on a good show it has to be said. I'll settle for listening to the couple of tracks I've got at home, turn the lights down and pretend I'm a teenager covered in eyeliner again.

Josie Watts - Arts Centre, Havant. 28/10/05

2005-11-04T13:27:00.000Z

Now this makes a refreshing change from my normal Friday night out down at Messclean with beer and rock music as a couple of friends and I take a trip up the road to Havant Arts Centre to watch Josie Watts. I was invited up to this by the guitarist and vocalist with DNA (see previous blog post) who was set to join Josie for the second half of her set and seeing as I love to experience new sounds and new venues I jumped at the chance to attend this night that was listed under Folk & Roots. The actual venue has a gallery where one can look at a fine selection of paintings and enjoy a pint or coffee before heading into the theatre area; tonight is not quite sold out but there is a decent turn out of people and I'm actually quite looking forward to finding out what Josie Watts sounds like.

Appearing from behind a black curtain with just an acoustic guitar for company she looks a little nervous but jumps straight into the first tune revealing a powerful voice and a beautiful guitar sound. It has to be said that the Arts Centre have an in-house sound engineer who does a fine job in this intimate venue and the sound is warm and crisp and lends itself well to the material being played. My friends mention Tracy Chapman and Bob Dylan whilst listening and I quite agree in that Josie has a big voice and a nice direct style that has folk roots but has been transformed into a modern style singer songwriter approach that works very well with hints of Rickie Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell. As the set progresses, Josie relaxes and comes across as a charming confident character and all too quickly the first set ends, a sure sign that you are enjoying a gig as it felt like we had only been their five minutes.

The second set sees Josie joined by Joe on guitar, this leaves her free on the first couple of tunes to play sax inbetween singing. I've never been a lover of the sax to be honest and felt it added little to the tunes, although well played it just didn't seem to fit with the mood and I'm pleased to say that once she picked up the guitar again things started to flow; the music in this set is much more open and lively as opposed to the first sets inner searching and downbeat vibe. The guitar work is sublime as they play off and compliment each other creating some wonderful textures whilst Josie delivers her strong distinctive vocals. It's an impressive set and I have to say that I really enjoyed it; I would be happy to see Josie play again and would strongly recommend checking her out if you like that female singer songwriter type material as she is a fine performer and with a few decent support slots I could see her gaining a formidable reputation. I believe that she has an album out but I am not aware of a website or email address at present but when I find one I shall post it up just in case anyone is interested.

The Aviators + Bluesky Research + Flesh + DNA - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front, Portsmouth. 21/10/05.

2005-11-04T12:52:00.000Z

How time flies! Tonight is the 1st birthday of Messclean and to celebrate they have invited old friends back to party. First up are DNA who feature Messclean mainman Nikolai on bass and if it's your party you can do what you want so tonight they strip away their prog tendencies and concentrate on more direct funky rock numbers and have a blast. DNA are a band who love music, they don't pander to what is trendy, they just let the sounds spill out naturally and have a damn good time doing it; all are excellent muscians and they craft well written tunes that come alive with their energetic performance. It's a fine way to start the party and now they can relax and let the beer flow.

Flesh have appeared at Messclean several times and whilst I've always enjoyed their mix of classic glam tinged rock I always had the feeling that they were not considered a proper band but tonight sees them transformed, with the addition of a new bass player, into a band that may start to attract a crowd. It's still the same raucous Stones inspired rock n roll but it comes over as less centered around mainman Charlie and you begin to see them as a whole band which is a good thing and not before time. Tonight is the best I've ever seen Flesh and it will be interesting to see what develops from this foundation building performance.

Business as usual for the Bluesky Research boys and their epic floaty indie songs. With their heavenly soaring vocal melodies and mesmerizing tunes it's hard to dislike BSR; they are just a little different to your normal run of the mill indie band, perhaps a harder Keane or Elbow but definitely with their own sound and they always sound impressive. One wonders how long it will be before they get really noticed as they certainly have that crossover appeal that could lead them to be chart botherers in the future. Another fine, if a little short, set of quality tunes.

The Avaitors are similar to BSR in that one can easily see them taking off big time if they get that lucky break; they are more direct in musical terms, a little harder around the edges but they still have that floaty quality and a couple of real classic tunes that just stick in your brain. At times they can just wash over you but if they get the same quality throughout their set then they will be unstoppable; tonight they are on top form and are shown to be at their best when they slow things down and go for that real epic building of sound that then swamps you with layers of guitar. Again, a fine set and a pleasing way to close the first chapter in the history of Messclean.

The Deads + Stop It Your Killing Me + Big Squirrel - The Thursday Thing, The Registry, Portsmouth. 20/10/05

2005-10-31T14:33:00.000Z

This is my first visit to The Thursday Thing at The Registry mainly due to the lack of money rather than not wanting to go. It's a fairly large pub, for those not familiar with Portsmouth and is popular with students and those that like a lively atmosphere but without your townie element and a cheap entry fee for gigs means that you have a decent crowd of people who want to see the bands and those that just want to go to the pub and are not put off by the admission price. Apparently the PA didn't turn up tonight but the show goes on and they have cobbled together a makeshift PA that does the job well enough.

The Big Squirrel duo are first up comprising Chester Squirrel on acoustic guitar and vocals backed by Bennington Squirrel on drums (who may or may not be seen at other times digging out riffs for The Good Time Charlies); and what a fine racket they make, wonderfully lo-fi acoustic garage punk though what they do to the guitar I don't know as it's the dirtiest, heaviest acoustic I've ever heard! With a large crowd in to support them it's hard to see what is going on as Chester is sat on a low stool inflicting untold abuse on said guitar while Bennington is bashing seven shades of shit out of the drums. It's raw rock n roll, catchy as hell and just the way I like it; German Sex Tourist, that can be sampled over there on their MySpace page sounds like On A Rope by Rocket From The Crypt after it's had dirty sex and been dragged through the gutter and is the perfect song that sums up BS. It's brilliantly shambolic but tight and just the right side of trashy and a must see band if you like it rough and raw.

Stop It Your Killing Me suffer from a lack of subtlety tonight as their fantastic psychobilly beats are lost beneath walls of guitar and the vocals are simply lost. The few recorded tracks I have sampled put one in mind of The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and on a different night I can imagine them sounding awesome but tonight just doesn't work for them and while there are plenty of interesting things going on it's just not pulled into focus this evening.

With plenty of beer having flowed it's time for The Deads to come out preaching again and they do so in fine style with their high energy indie rock. It's hard to label them exactly, there is a touch of many things mixed in their potent brew from the sixties to modern day and they have refined it down to the essentials that leaves a hard rocking exterior with a melodic heart and a frontman that demands attention as he feeds off the energy. It wakes up a few of the non gig goers who move over to have a peak at what all the noise is about and I think they may just have converted a few to thier cause.

A most enjoyable evening in a friendly pub and well worth a visit.

Psyattica + Fivemiledrive + Little London + A Stranger In Moscow - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. 16/10/05.

2005-10-31T13:42:00.000Z

The latest Devil's Roadshow gig and the chance for some local bands to play a decent venue with a big sound and it's credit all round to those involved as this is sold out and a friendly crowd are expecting big things. First up are A Stranger In Moscow who are riding on that post-hardcore train with just a hint of emo hanging on for dear life; some of them have those nice pretty boy fringe haircuts that I hate but they are saved by a fine looking chap with a mass of unkempt curly hair which shows they are not just all image. Music wise they deliver some quite fine melodic passages with bursts of hardcore hardness mirrored somewhat with a nice line in dual vocals that sees singing giveway to guttural roars; it's very 'now' sounding and they seem to have a good fan base that should see them continue to grow at a fast rate in the local scene.

Tonight is a rare sober excursion for the mighty Little London and boy does it show. There may be little in the way of carnage and drunken banter but what we witness tonight is a band at full capacity and delivering a finely balanced set that hits all the right spots and sees Little London claim the night as their own because frankly they wipe the floor with the other bands. Basically, LL rock, in much the same way that The Wildhearts, Therapy?, Motorhead and Turbonegro rock. They go straight for the jugular, rip it out and piss rock n roll down it. What they do have in abundance is top quality tunes and the newer songs aired tonight sound just as mighty as the established classics such as Love Reaction and go down a storm. The crowd reaction says it all at the end of their set as they are treated like homecoming heroes and on this performance it is well deserved.

Fivemiledrive have been building quite a reputation for themselves but it has to be said that having to follow Little London does them no favours as they sound pale in comparison. They are another of those bands that fit nicely into the whole post-hardcore/emo type scene right down to the image and once again, those annoying fringes that they have to keep smoothing down to one side to keep them out of their eyes; I don't know about you but I find it most distracting and I may now have to become some kind of serial scissor attacker or something because it drives me mad. But anyway, back to the music, Fivemiledrive sound as you would expect them to, melodic guitar work giving way to blasts of noise. The vocals tonight sound a little whiney but it's easy to see why they are building a decent reputation and while they may not be my cup of tea I can see them doing well over the next year or two.

It would appear that the majority of people who are here tonight agree that Psyattica stand a pretty decent chance of being spotted as they have crafted a sound that lies somewhere between all the major rock genres. Unfortunately that kind of makes them slightly bland and lack that spark of true genius, but they do have that foot tapping kind of radio appeal that could reach a wider audience. They round the evening off nicely and it's great to see that so many people have stayed to the bitter end to support the local scene, tonight is a real victory for everyone.

Monkey Boy + Monkey Island + Harsh - The King Alfred, Southampton. 14/10/05

2005-10-21T14:17:00.000+01:00

My first visit to The King Alfred in Southampton, home of many a DIY punk gig and down the road from the more famous Joiners Arms; it's an evening out for half of Portsmouth Turbojugend but our beloved denim jackets with PORTSMOUTH on the back remain at home because let's face it, we don't want our heads kicked in before we start which was a wise move because when we locate said pub it looks like no gig is on until we see a hairy sort climbing the stairs from the toilets in the basement and he tells us we have to go through the pub, up the stairs at the end of the bar and there we shall find good music. Downstairs is full of tough looking local types gearing up for a spot of karaoke and had we worn our TJ jackets I doubt we would have made the stairs in the first place! But anyway, up some narrow stairs and we enter a tiny room that's about the same size as my living and dining room combined, with twenty people in it's crammed and you have a nice feeling that you are at an event, a real gig being done for love and not money.

Harsh are the first band up and include the couple of chaps who were on the door, they play stripped down honest foot to the floor rock n roll punk. It's basic, it's good fun and they sound like a million other rock n roll bands who are out there playing tiny venues but it's from the heart and you know they are playing it because they need to, because rock n roll is in their blood and they don't care if they play to 5 people or 50 as long as they can strap on that guitar and let rip.

The smartly dressed Monkey Island look fine and dandy and I'm wondering just what this trio will sound like and I like what I hear a lot. It's bastard rock, they are putting the prog into punk by way of The Cardiacs and the blues; you don't know who is going to sing or just talk over the clattering beats or what times changes may occur or even what style of music will come out. It's quite fantastic and warped in the best possible way, a melting pot of dripping guitar and big bendy bass fueled by bottled rocket juice. As is always the case with these fantastic bands they deserve to be playing to bigger audiences but I expect they are not straight or bland enough to be appreciated by the masses and so us lucky few get to be up close and personal with this fine band.

Monkey Boy seem to have been travelling around this country for ever with their two bass and drum set up and tonight they sound as fresh and exciting as if it was their first tour. They long ago ditched the need for a guitarist as they make a fine racket with just the two basses and the cracking drums, playing bastardized blues punk rock they recount strange tales for our pleasure, a glimpse into their surreal landscapes. It's powerful stuff, the drum cracks like a punch to the head as the two bass players pound your body like a couple of epileptic nutters and although it seems wild and free they have their art perfected as the stop/start interludes are spot on without a note out of place. MB are a band who like a bit of banter with the crowd and they come across as down to earth types who really do appreciate the effort people make to go and see them; once again a band who deserve to play to bigger crowds as I'm sure many would absolutely love them but as we know the music world is not straight forward and politics are everywhere but go give them a chance, you'll not see a better live band anywhere in the UK, no lights, no gimmicks just pure rock n roll energy and some cracking songs and what better way to end than on the classic Fish For A Quid, a true masterpiece and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Bloc Party + Kaito - Guildhall, Portsmouth. 10/10/05.

2005-10-21T13:41:00.000+01:00

As is usual with bigger venues, the snake like queue outside is moving very slowly and so Kaito take to the stage with half the people not even in the venue which is a shame as they miss a real treat. The two boys and two girls who make up Kaito look like they mean business, dressed in black with hair in place they deliver a precise blast of pop noise; dark fun as guitars crash, the bass thuds over Can style strict beats in a sharp and pointed way but underneath there is a fun pop heart beating and this makes Kaito music good to dance to. Front lady Niki almost sounds like a slightly more cheerful Mark E Smith at times as she chants her vocals on the wave of noise; it's catchy as hell and ever so slightly sexy in that look but don't touch kind of way and I'm damn glad that I got there in time to see them.

I really do not understand the fuss about Bloc Party, I saw them a few months back at the smaller Pyramids venue and came away thinking great drummer but poor tunes and I'm thinking exactly the same thing this time only with more lights. Maybe I'm just missing something as the place is rammed, it's too hot and people are passing out and to top it all, no barrier is in place so people are up against the stage; anyone daring to crowdsurf is swiftly escorted off the stage and thrown out the back door, nice. But anyway, as I stand watching, it strikes me how important the drummer is in Bloc Party, Matt Tong has a drum riser that places him well above the rest of the band and in every photo he is at the front and it's the same with the music, the tunes are all drums. Where are the guitars? I keep asking myself expecting them to chime out any moment but they don't and I find it most unsatisfying that an indie 'guitar' band has so little up front guitar. It appears to me that there is very little in the way of memorable tunes and Kele has a very one tone voice, as if he has a cold. But like I say, perhaps I'm missing something as there are plenty of happy faces and the big crowd seem to love it, but Bloc Party just don't cut it for me, I find them dull and just don't see them as anything more than an overhyped NME band made good.

Sweetedge + My Retro Console + Holiday In Vegas - Messclean, Portsmouth. 07/10/05

2005-10-21T12:00:00.000+01:00

Holiday In Vegas are young in years and while watching them I get the feeling that they should have spent a little longer in the garage perfecting their sound and act as they come over as being not quite ready to gig. They burst through a number of buzzsaw indie pop songs that have little character at the moment, the spark is just missing but you get the feeling that a couple of years down the line they may make some fine sparkling indie pop full of fizz.

Now here is a lesson that all bands should take note of, My Retro Console admit tonight they they are poor at checking emails and the reason they are doing a gig at Messclean is because they missed an email that had been sitting there offering them a place on a festival bill in Barcelona...so bands, check your emails on a daily basis! However, they are in good heart and part of the charm of MRC is their never ending humour and bags of energy as they run through a tight set of confident chunky punk pop. They come across as a fun time band and you do get the feeling that they are the type of band that may just get signed as they are commercial enough to appeal to a wide audience and they are full of character. Fine music to nod along to and in the right venue with the right crowd I can imagine a large amount of crowd surfing going on.

Sweetedge are back for a second visit and once again leave me stunned at the quality of the tunes on offer tonight. A fantastically gifted trio, Sweetedge are the sort of band that would be found more often in a roots club or at some arts festival in the middle of a field on a sunny day; each are great musicians and the class really shows through as they wander effortlessly amid a range of styles and drop subtle influences into the music without making it obvious. Tonight they are brave and tackle a reggae song and it sounds perfect and natural, in fact the bass has a dubby feel in much of the music but not in an obvious way and it's this kind of thing that makes the Sweetedge sound so pleasing. I think it's fair to say that the strentgh of the band is in the songwriting, I'd have no problem putting them in the singer/songwriter genre such is their strength in creating interesting arrangements. And of course you have the enigma that is Della belting out her distinctive vocals in that original way and looking confident while interacting with the audience; Sweetedge are perhaps not what you'd expect to see at a night like Messclean and it's a tribute to both the band and promoter that they are prepared to try something a little different, it may leave some punters a little perplexed but those with an open mind had a great time and big smiles could be seen by those enjoying something just a little bit different.

The Way + The Exits + Jarvis Fields - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. 04/10/05

2005-10-21T11:24:00.000+01:00

Tonight was supposed to be the album launch for Pompey chart botherers Ricky, but a combination of a delayed release date and the lack of a bass player sees them pull out; however the remaining support bands have flogged enough tickets to ensure a good crowd turn up anyway. Southampton band Jarvis Fields take to the stage first and do a nice turn in Who like rock, the tunes have a decent swagger about them though the band look strangely static on stage and could do with having a bit more energy about them as the songs are fizzing away and need some visual stimulation. It has to be said that they have an impressive drummer who bashes away like Keith Moon having a turn, complete with big drum solo that actually sounds good. A couple of songs sink into that Oasis grey area but generally the Fields sound like a promising band.

Having seen The Exits a few days before this at Messclean and thinking they were good despite the poor sound down there, I wasn't prepared for just how good they were going to sound tonight. With a decent PA behind them, these boys sound massive and they look the part tonight with front man Ray complete with white jacket and confidence oozing out of every pore. They own the stage tonight and those lovely 80s squelchy synths vibrate up into the stomach and guitars cut through in rough and ready fashion and let's not forget the tunes, because I swear that each and every tune they play tonight is first class; there are not many bands that stick in your brain after one listen but The Exits have that ability to do just that and it has to be said that they are the band of the night by a long way and as it turns out this classy performance has gained them their first headlining Wedge gig come January and well deserved too. On seeing The Exits for the first time a while back I said they would be at home supporting the current crop of bands like Bloc Party and now I'm thinking they actually sound better and would blow them off the stage no trouble such is the quality of the tunes and performance. A real victory for The Exits tonight, if there is any justice in this world someone will pick them up soon and let a few more people hear their vibrant, modern sound.

Alas, after the rush that is The Exits we have to have The Way. They are the kind of band who model themselves on all their influences such as Oasis, The Beatles etc and keep to the same template so you end up feeling that you've just watched a whole load of covers bands. It's quite obvious they have a dedicated beered up following who are happy to throw each other about down the front and chuck beer over everyone but to these ears it's dull and I'd rather go home and listen to the original bands.

The Sportiques + Rolling Dog + Thomas Truax + The Exits - Messclean, Portsmouth. 30.09.05

2005-10-18T14:27:00.000+01:00

The Exits are fast becoming another of those 'must see' Portmouth based bands as word starts to spread about this fine group. Tonight, as openers, they deliver a short but wonderful set of their fine sounds, incorporating elements of the past with big synth lines but fusing it with modern guitars and taught beats to make something very modern and unique. Bands that spring to mind would be Kasabian but while they have taken bits of the past and have ended up sounding the same as those bands they have stolen from, The Exits seem to have wandered down a new path that has you hearing things you recognise but reorganised and mutated into something shiny and at times quite breathtaking. What is great is the way it is delivering tunes with a big pop hook but in a cool way, music to sing to, music to dance to and above all songs that actually stick in the brain after one listen which is quite an achievement. Onwards and upwards for The Exits I feel.

I've been looking forward to Thomas Truax since I found out he was appearing and one look at his website will tell you why. This American solo artist is also an inventor of strange instruments such as his drum machine 'Sister Spinster' and 'The Hornicator' and I am pleased to see they let him into the country with them. Now it has to be said that the sound is not always the best as places like Messclean and Thomas suffers at times when the crowd finds it difficult to hear some of his fine tunes but he is a man of good humour and what could be a hostile crowd take to this charming man in no time at all. He is at his best when strumming along with sister spinster keeping time, a mix of blues and country delivered with a fine voice; at one point he unplugs the guitar and takes a walk down the bar singing to individuals and standing on tables, a true entertainer. At times the wonderful creations take over and fun is had while he experiments and while it loses the plot in the middle somewhat you can't help but be won over by the charm and wit of Mr.Truax.

Looking to break out of Portsmouth, Rolling Dog have been creating a bit of a name for themselves and this performance has me convinced that they may just make it. Delivering a blistering set of arty alt rock they look just the part in their matching black outfits and ties, add on the boyish charm with good looks and you have a band who would look good in any magazine. RD have that kind of sound that borders on commercial but retains enough scuzzy rough edges to please the rest of us and it's easy to see why they describe it as indiedancecore as the foot starts to tap followed by whatever else it is you like to shake. It's an original sound with hints of punked up garage and indie and they should be able to appeal to the NME crowd while still retaining some credibility.

The Sportiques are launching an album tonight so have a few fans in to support their fun blend of garage and surf rock. While they may not be the most original band in the world it's fine music for drinking beer to and having a laugh; they pay tribute to local legends The Green Hornets by covering a song and inviting a couple of members of said band to venture on stage and do backing vocals, an impressive sight and probably the best song of the set. It gives a party atmosphere to the end of the night and leaves people with big grins and a nice happy feeling inside.

Karn8 + The Carter Affair + Chaser + Stonewall Jackson - Messclean, Portsmouth. 23/09/05

2005-10-18T12:40:00.000+01:00

Looks like this is one of the first gigs that Stonewall Jackson have performed and they are another band that have to move out of that big Oasis shadow that so many bands like to sit in. Yeah, it's OK and the singer has plenty of confidence but the music just plods along at foot tapping pace and goes nowhere exciting apart from the odd time when they get a bit heavier but once again an indie band that lacks excitement.

Luckily Chaser are on hand to stir it up with their alt prog noodlings by way of Dinosaur Jnr noise fests and fucked up timings. Just once in a while you see a band and you think yeah, they hit the mark and then you catch them again and they blow you away which is exactly what Chaser do tonight as the jarring guitars create intense grooves that are mown down by earthy beats and walls of noise before hitting that groove again. Chaser are really starting to evolve into something big and powerful, go look at their web page and discover them though really you need to see them in the flesh so they can do the ultimate damage to your ears as they need to be loud, let them make your ears bleed, feel the pleasure as complete noise groove takes over but just watch out for the gardening implements.

The Carter Affair are the perfect follow up to Chaser in that they to delight in guitar noise; slightly less proggy in approach they build the sound in waves with additional keyboard adding some throbbing sonics to the sound. TCA have an underbelly of noise coupled with a surface of melodic beauty and despite some technical hitches the sound is quite impressive. For the final sound they bring on a Poet who talks over increasing waves of feedback and noise as the band freak out which makes for an impressive and memorable finale.

The night then takes a darker turn as Karn8 take to the stage, it's still noise but we are moving in a more electro metal direction for those that like to wear black and damn sexy it is too. Karn8 create a powerful sound, thumping beats not too far from Queen Adreena but with added steel and instead of the mad Katie Jane look we have the ice cool Kirst who gyrates around and would probably be just as happy taking a whip to us all rather than enertain us. With an impressive EP release under their belts it can only be a matter of time before more people take notice of this fine band and on a bigger stage with decent sound they are going to sound mightily big where they are just going to create one big orgy of sweaty blackleather clad sex things. Get on over to that website and pray at the feet of Karn8, I'm sure they would love you to lick their boots.

Deville + DNA + Charlie Flesh - Messclean, Portsmouth. 16/09/05

2005-10-18T12:15:00.000+01:00

Bit of a disaster this gig in terms of bands pulling out and one band apparently booked to play who didn't even exist so it's down to some regulars to fill in and once again Charlie Flesh gets the chance to strut his rock n roll in solo fashion. This time he has to go for the electric guitar and he's joined by a drummer and it works surprisingly well as Charlie sings about sex, sex and more sex; he may look like a combination of Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry with big hair as he duck walks and struts around but it's fun and I look forward to hearing the Bee Gees influence that he is going to work in to his future material.

Nikolai who runs Messclean is lucky enough to have his own band, DNA, so fellow members are called and they jump into this last second gig with gusto and sound remarkably good. They have a big epic floaty sound, prog meets psychedelia via soulful rock and they make it look effortless and with two good voacalists now in the band an extra dimension is added, quite where that dimension is I'm not sure but it's a long way off, out there past the moon in some dark glittery place that is occupied by bands that like to go off on one. They seem to get better with each gig and as long as they do not get lost out there they should continue to astound with their musical journeys.

Fresh from the ashes of Drivin' South come Deville with a slightly different line up but just as much attitude. They still plough a similar furrow but have punked the sound up a tad so they sound like a heavier Libertines, at times it is most enjoyable and on this performance (along with a handy manager with connections) they will soon gain the kind of attention that Drivin' South warranted. My only thought on them breaking out of Portsmouth is that they have that same laddish Pompey following that works well for them when playing in Portsmouth but could work against them when playing further afield as they will not have their energy and banter to work off but we will see as they already have local supports lined up with the likes of The Paddingtons whose genre they fit into perfectly. A promising start and the beginning of a journey that I'm sure will have much controversy along with the twists and turns.

Mistys Big Adventure + The Retro Spankies + The Stations - Messclean, Portsmouth. 15/09/05.

2005-10-18T11:41:00.000+01:00

The Stations are a young four piece playing indie rock, think along the lines of a heavier and slightly more interesting Coldplay and you'll be heading in the right direction. They combine some new wave taughtness with modern indie jangle and while their cover of 'Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay' may be a bit wayward it shows they have an appreciation of classic songwriting that they are trying to bring into their own tunes. The Stations show promise at times but lack that extra spark just at the moment.

Spark is something The Retro Spankies have plenty of as they land at Messclean having arrived from another planet with big glasses and doctor outfits. They rest their keyboard on an ironing board, it's these little things that make bands great; musically they mutate weird freaky child like nusery rhymes with Bis stlye punky punch and lots of trashy lo fi pop, feed it a space ship load of drugs and set it free. It's quite unlike anything out there and it is fantastically brilliant and bizzare and you can't help but watch in awe as the jerky beats take over unsuspecting limbs and they lay eggs of insanity in your weakened brain.

A perfect way to prepare for MBA, who are back for a second visit within a couple of months but still the people of Portsmouth have not realised the brilliance that has come their way again. I'm telling you, they will be sorry later on as word spreads of blue gloves and manic fun to be had. Really I don't need to say much as they are just as brilliant this time round as they were the last and in the meantime VP mainman Skif has caught them too so check his view out over on the VP main site. If you love quirky timed pop, splashes of cut up jazz like the Cardiacs on day release then MBA are the boys and girls for you.

Red Letter Day + Moses + Not Advised + Lee Cooper - Messclean, Portsmouth. 09/09/05.

2005-10-18T11:16:00.000+01:00

I first caught Lee Cooper performing a couple of acoustic numbers in a pub a couple of weeks back so it was a real pleasure to find him performing tonight with a couple of mates to help out at various points during the evening. Lee performs late night acoustic mellowness with gentle barely there vocals, tonight the additional bass adds a warmth to the tunes while the second guitar beefs the sound up slightly. This is wonderful singer songwriter type stuff that you are going to put on after a few drinks when feeling a bit down and just chill out to. A rewarding set and a pleasure to see perform again.

Not Advised, from Southampton, soon shatter the gentle vibe with their energetic blend of emo-pop-punk. But don't runaway just yet, for while they may be kitted out in the latest Macbeth clothing there is something special about Not Advised; the gut wrenching bass, the energy, the well written songs and the humour, it all adds up to an impressive sound that I really enjoyed despite not being an emo fan, it has that slightly dirty edge to it and an extra heaviness that makes it stand out which would be why they are picking up gigs all over the place and I believe that Not Advised are going to be on a few peoples' lips in the coming months as this is a cracking outfit.

Some bands look like they eat rock n roll for breakfast, others, like Moses, make it look like a fashion thing as they take to the stage in their expensive looking jeans and very white trainers, a mirror image of their fans who look like they'd never set foot in such a pub under normal conditions. They play inoffensive indie rock, Stereophonics lite that appeals to the masses but is ultimately just a little dull so we shall move on quickly.

Veterans Red Letter Day are out to promote their new album and it would appear that their usual loyal crowd are absent but that doesn't stop RLD from performing a solid set. It looks like they may have had a few beers before hand as Ade looks a little worse for wears but he still manages to perform his usual array of high kicks and friendly banter while onstage these days there is a certain amount of chemistry that allows the newer songs to sparkle while some older tracks have been dusted down, spruced up and once again sound sprightly and fresh. Working with a stand in bass player due to Steve Marsh having recently left, they still sound vital and still have something left to say as they continue to evolve their sound and move forwards; while tonight may not go down as a classic gig it is a reminder of just how good RLD have remained and what an important part of Portsmouth's music scene they remain.

Torpedoes + Wherewithal + Lax + Red Campion - Messclean, Portsmouth. 02/09/05

2005-10-13T21:23:00.000+01:00

Every now and then you stumble across an opening band that leaves your jaw on the floor and Red Campion are one of those bands; far to good to be playing opening slots at small venues they are a five-piece that incorporate cello and violin into their wonderful sounds. For much of the set they delve into blusey folk cum celtic pop with classical elements, at times soft and melodic with lush vocals but they also know how to have a good time as is shown by the cracking cover of Children Of The Revolution which is mind blowing. Red Campion are a truly original band and well worth an hour of your time if they happen to be passing your way.

Lax are a five piece rock band going for that earnest Pearl Jam type vibe, it's basic classic rock done relatively well but ultimately heavy going and not very original which leaves not a lot to write about.

Wherewithal are a fine indie band creating a fair amount of interest for themselves; their sugar coated sweetness wrapped up in barbed wire kisses is a jangly mess of sexiness that bounces around the room and they deserve to be the next indie pin-ups with delicious songs like Sixth Form Poetry. It helps that they have a front lady who is totally bewitching and has just about everyone eating out of her hand while the rest of the band deliver an exciting blend of hard indie pop. Such is their confidence that they are able to deal easily with the hecklers who are shouting for the singer to take her top off when she comments on how hot it is and a good amount of banter follows but it does little to detract from the fine songs on offer.

Eighties crystal goth guitar sounds, you can't beat it and The Torpedoes do it so well you'd think they have just been transported forward through time from a Mission support back in the day. They mix that distinctive guitar sound with a healthy dose of rock n roll and dress it all in black with a hint of grime to good effect and while they are unlikely to break out of the underground it is always a pleasure to see fellow black hearted souls.

You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons + Paper Cuts + K'Junga + Silicon Sun - Messclean, Portsmouth. 12/08/05.

2005-10-13T20:37:00.000+01:00

Silicon Sun have that wonderful just walked in off the street feel about them, they all look so different that they look like they've been put together at a mix n match sale. Music wise however, they know exactly what they are doing as they hit a nice loose stoner groove, sexy snake like bass weaves around shimmering Hendrix guitars that work towards freakouts before being brought back down to earth. There are decent tunes in here too with a bit of pop sensibility that make the tracks stand out; Silicon Sun seem to improve each time I see them and they come across as perfectly natural which is part of their charm and the way they ease into a slinky groove is most appealing.

Probably the most popular band on the bill tonight judging by the amount of people down the front, are K'Junga, who also happen to be the most ordinary band on the bill. They are a metal band of the Nu-ish variety, plenty of huff and puff and power riffing but it all becomes a blur after a while with nothing standing out apart from when they slow it down to do a big power ballad that Nickelback would be proud of. When push comes to shove they are playing safe material that they know will appeal to a young set of metal fans but us oldies need something a little more challenging.

Paper Cuts are visiting from big London town and are fronted by Ross Cummins, once of Symposium fame. It would appear that many at Messclean tonight are not aware of who they are and this gives the gig an air of secrecy but it doesn't stop Paper Cuts performing an impressive set of arty indie rock and it would appear that Ross has lost none of his appetite or energy for showmanship as he spends much of the set running about or hanging from the pipes on the ceiling; when doing nothing inbetween he attacks the keyboard in that one finger style so popular with people who can't really play a note. He has an acomplished band behind him who look comfortable on stage and one can only imagine that it won't be long before they get snapped up by a label and are gracing the pages of bigger publications.

I love The Demons, simple as that. They are pure rock n roll energy and tonight they are on top form hammering down the fast lane with sparks flying behind as the roar of the bastard sons of MC5 and The Stooges mug you with a barrage of noise and abstract rock. With The Demons there is no focal point, although Richie is in normal terms the frontman, he spends much of the set away from the mic mudering his bass as the noise whips up a storm around him, this lack of a focal point allows one to become immersed in the Demons sonic waves as it washes over and around you becoming almost hypnotic as it powers on. Tonight The Demons show us why they are probably one of the best rock bands in the South.

Gorgonzola + Charlie Flesh + Lee Cooper - The Nell Gwyne, Portsmouth. 01/09/05.

2005-10-13T14:28:00.000+01:00

The Nell Gwyne is a cosy little pub and tonight is home to several locals who would be here anyway and a few mates of the bands performing. The artists are tonight crammed in down one end of the pub up against the pool table but what the hell, it makes for a nice atmosphere as Lee Cooper takes to his stool with acoustic guitar and harmonica for company. Tonight he plays a couple of down tempo tunes, the kind of stuff you might put on late at night when you've just split up with someone and you've been on the whiskey. He has a fine voice and the tunes have a nice warm quality about them as mellowness descends on the pub.

Charlie Flesh on the other hand is a ball of pent up sexual energy as he strums away gurning like Mick Jagger on far too many drugs. He is entertaining to watch though and you half expect him to start strutting around the pub like Chuck Berry inbetween his stories of sex and lust; this is energetic acoustic rock with one foot planted in glam rock the other in classic rock n roll.

Tonight is the debut for Gorgonzola which must rank as one of the worst names in history but don't let that put you off this stripped down rock duo of Jason on guitar and vocals with Nick on drums. There are a few nerves on show but once they settle down it appears that what we have is some nice raw stripped back blues going on in the vein of The Black Keys meets The Kills.
The tunes have a nice groove and slightly improvised feel about them that keeps them on a nice edge as slide guitar gives way to some quirky vocals; you get the feeling that they are slightly held back by the sound limitations as Nick looks like he wants to really get into a heavy groove on the drums but holds off for fear of drowning Jason out. But I reckon stick them on a big stage and you'd have a pretty powerful and interesting addition to the current trend of rock duo's.

FOBA + 3 Second Rule + Forever Falling - HMC, Portsmouth. 08/08/05.

2005-10-13T13:40:00.000+01:00

Forever Falling, from Norwich are out on a DIY tour with 3 Second rule and you can't knock their dedication and balls for actually getting out there and doing it. Despite little advertising there is a reasonable crowd in to witness the emo-screamo-post hardcore or whatever of Forever Falling. It's a tough mix of hardcore brutality giving way to melody and metal style riffing. The vocalist has a fine guttural belch of a voice despite looking like a Marilyn Manson reject but that aside, FF are a reasonable band and should find favour out there in Emo land.

Touring partners from Manchester are 3 Second Rule, also described as emo meets post-hardcore, who are a more accessible outfit providing far more melodic moments and a nice dual vocal approach that veers from screaming to actual singing. They have a raw rock feel combined with melodic punk and I find them surprisingly pleasing on the ear. Of the two tavelling bands I feel that 3SR are the more likely to make a name for themselves as ultimately they are the more interesting musically.

Quite why Friends Of Brutal Architecture are on this bill is anyones guess, having seen them two days before at Messclean I'm tempted to go home early but keen as I am to support the local scene I remain until the bitter end and really my feelings about FOBA remain as in the last review. I'm sure they are nice chaps but musically it does nothing for me, it's just kind of there drifting along with few surprises. Like I say, quite why they are on this bill is a mystery but there you go, rock n roll is a funny old thing.

Serotonin + FOBA + Strict Machines + Shadow Cast - Messclean, Portsmouth. 05/08/05

2005-10-13T13:09:00.000+01:00

Shadow Cast do a nice line in alt-rock though they need to drop the Oasis and Stereophonic covers as their own material shines brighter than the two blandest bands in the world. At times a slight Placebo edge comes into view and you really want them to move into art rock territory and spill over with the noise but they hold back and look a little self-conscious. It's promising but not quite there yet.

The trio of Strict Machines are an unusual mixture of influences, a real love of rock n roll fighting with pop comes across; it's raw and primal music fronted by a sultry goth looking lady who is the obvious focus but one can't help be distracted by the unusual technique of the guitar player who throws out swampy Cramps style riffs with ease. An original band who are not easy to label which is a good thing as it means they are doing something just a little bit different and I like it a lot.

Friends Of Brutal Architecture are just too nice; yeah, they are fine musicians and have odd flashes of greatness but they sound like the sort of band your Dad might play in the car thinking it's rock. That's not to say you can't tap your foot along but ultimately if you want rock n roll danger then look elsewhere.

Now Serotonin have been gathering a bit of interest and on this performance it's easy to see why as they rip through a set that wouldn't sound out of place next to bands like Muse and Serafin, a deep throbbing bass acting as an anchor while the guitar freaks out in wails of noise and dramatic vocals float off on the debris. It's a fine blend of hearty melodies doing battle with noise and makes for an epic sound that could well see them break out of Portsmouth. Considering the sound limitation of the venue they manage to sound massive and fill the packed venue with thier dense attack of wholesome indie rock. They even manage a true rock n roll ending by throwing their instruments down and walking off and I say top marks for putting in a great effort despite it only being a small gig.

Second Hand Thoughts + escapegoat + Ben Hayes - HMC @ Railway Workers Club, Fratton. 01/08/05

2005-10-05T14:01:00.000+01:00

Ben Hayes is more often seen ripping his tonsils out with both In This Defiance and Enochian Theory or seizing at the chance to jump on stage with any heavy band and doing extra vocals so it's nice to find him perched on a seat with just an acoustic guitar for comapany and no wall of noise to hide behind. It's not the best environment to play acoustic numbers with far too much chatter going on, but Ben shows his gentle side with some wonderful gentle songs that also show him to have a fine voice when he sings rather than growling. He offers a selection of soft lilting rock songs, conjuring up images of late hours, smokey rooms and soul searching. I believe he is thinking of giving up playing this material live which would be a real shame as it's nice to see someone known for their harsh music taking time out and stripping the music back for all to see, showing their delicate side and revealing some lighter shades.

escapegoat are a strange experiment where indie meets ladishness and throw in some punk attitude and let the fireworks begin. They come over as a harder version of Razorlight/Libertines, in your face hyperactive twitchers who look ready for a fight. Treading a fine line between annoying and good, the vocalist spends half the night out the front climbing chairs and nearly strangling himself with the mic lead. When they go for it they are quite excellent as they do get people moving and they are another of those Pompey bands that appeal to both the alternative and 'townie' population which is quite strange but also part of the charm as it always makes for an interesting evening.

Another acoustic set rounds the evening off as Matthew Harrison aka Second Hand Thoughts takes to the stage; although very young in age he has a confident manner in front of an audience and many take an interest in his performance. Music wise it's best described as pop punk meets emo and the songs do have the feeling that they would sound great with a full band which is a tribute to his skills; I believe he slips in some cover versions from some emo type bands but I wouldn't notice as that's not my cup of tea but all the tunes aired tonight sound equally acomplished and fully formed.

Counter Clash + The Asylum Seekers + Apnia + Knights Of Treason - Messclean, Portsmouth. 29/07/05

2005-10-05T13:19:00.000+01:00

Looks like I've walked in on Punk covers night which really isn't my sort of thing. I mean I love punk but not cover bands as there's too much good original stuff out there but looks like some people enjoy their trips down memory lane. First up are Knights Of Treason who cover all your standard tunes, they can play well but just plod along without much energy while The Asylum Seekers do the same only with more gusto and belief. Counter Clash provide a decent run through of Clash numbers, they obviously have a great love for The Clash and it shows in their playing.

Apnia are not a covers band, nor are they punk and this is an odd bill for them to be on but they hit it head on and come out as the best band of the night by a long shot. Apnia are a seductively dark beast, I suppose some may say they veer towards goth metal as they have that dramatic air about them but they are harder than that with Ryan providing nailed down beats and a barrage of riffing supporting front lady Laura who looks quite delicate but has a big voice and the kind of eyes that you do not want to make conatct with because they are too darn scary. She controls the stage and is not afraid to look right into your soul as she commands your attention which makes for a good if slightly unnerving gig if you happen to be near the front. Well worth checking out if you like big dramatic metal with a dark edge.

Little London + Dragon Eye Morrison + Mister Doom - HMC @ Railway Workers Club, Fratton. 25/07/05.

2005-10-05T12:44:00.000+01:00

So, first we had the birth of the Filth Trinity and now we have the Reincarnation of The Filth Trinity and can it be as much fun as the first time round? Mister Doom rise to the occasion magnificently with flying hair, classic slabs of doom metal with shredding riffs and military precsion giving way to the odd funky bassline and hints of Kyuss style stoner rock. Not forgetting the essential guitar solo of course that fits naturally within this hard hitting format; the aim of Mister Doom is to grab you by the hair, shout in your ear then let you drift off for a few moments before aiming a direct missile hit at your skull. Classic metal done very well.

DEM have the pleasure of being the meat in the sandwich this time and they sure sound pissed off about it; having taken to the stage with front man Adam wearing a Darth Vader mask they rip through a maelstrom of angry angular attacks, a battering ram puncturing your gut and ripping your insides out with clenched fists of victory. They are a seething cocktail of heavy riffing and all out chaos that is just about kept in check, extreme metal at it's best and most fluent.

Which leaves Little London to finish the party in their own rock n roll way and they do it so well. Despite the sound being not quite up to scratch they deliver another fine set of hard rocking tunes and I'm beginning to think they should provide their audiences with bottles of JD so we can get on the same trip as them because whatever they are experiencing it comes across as damn fine. Once again 'Love Reaction' is the standout track, quite how they will better this anthem I don't know, but the mix of Motorhead dirtiness and Wildhearts knack for a decent tune works wonders and LL have something special going on underneath the dirt and sex.

Of course it was as good as their birth, another victory for local bands and it's good to know we have some quality bands rising in Portsmouth.

Ghetto Billies + Toerag + The Visitors + Sweetedge - Messclean, Portsmouth. 22/07/05

2005-10-04T14:22:00.000+01:00

Sweetedge are like a sudden influx of fresh air and space within the confines of Messclean, an evening more used to rock and outlandish behaviour. This trio of gifted musicians treat us to a spectacular set of well crafted songs that come at you in various layers, much like a painting where you pick out subtle colours and textures and are able to immerse yourself in the composition. They come from a folk roots direction for want of a better description, flourishes of picked acoustic guitar over gentle beats and at times an times an almost dub like bass that floats and weaves around the numbers; that's not to say they can't rock out in their own way as much of the material comes across as being quite dark in nature but at the same time spiritually uplifting and pleasing on the ear. Front lady Della has a haunting voice and one that is hard to forget as it's used almost as another instrument rather than just as a vocal and is truly original in nature. Admittedly, it is a voice likely to divide opinion, much as someone like Kate Bush does and will not appeal to everyone but within the concept of Sweetedge it is integral to their original sound and tonight they go down surprisingly well.

The Visitors are a rock band reduced to just two members tonight playing acoustic tracks and following a band like Sweetedge does then no favours as they sound lumpen and one dimensional. They do a few of their own songs and slip in a cover of 'The Joker' but it is slightly dull as are following band Toerag. They are another of those indie type bands that have a very trendy following that wouldn't normally be seen dead at Messclean but come to see their mates. It's very safe foot tapping material, solid but uninspiring and not what I was expecting from a band named Toerag, very disappointing.

On tour from America, Ghetto Billies are pure fun and quite spectacular. With roots in classic rock, they have added a whole lot of everything else into the mix from disco to country to make a quite explosive cocktail of sounds and tunes that could make even the most rigid person shake a leg. In their promo pictures they look like a cross between The Darkness and The Scissor Sisters which sounds like a nightmare but luckily they look better in the flesh and sound brilliant. A few comments were made at the end of the evening about how good they were and why on earth they were not playing larger venues and that is a question I was asking myself and have not found a suitable answer yet.

Bastion 4 + Red Letter Day + Cinder - HMC @ Railway Workers Club, Fratton. 18/07/05

2005-10-04T13:26:00.000+01:00

My first visit to HMC (Happy Monday Club) and it is truly bizarre. Held at a railway workers club it is like entering the club from Phoenix Nights and a fair few minutes were spent trying to locate the portrait of the Queen that must be lurking within but to no avail and at least the beer is very cheap. Then it's a case of avoiding all the pretty underage emo girls and boys who have made it home as they somehow manage to get served and it's business as usual when Cinder take to the stage. Hampered a little by a cramped stage which renders the band fairly static, they none the less deliver another inch perfect set of highly addictive rock with tracks like 'Mortality' showing the ease in which they combine driving riffs with huge melodies; melted dripping sugar sweetness with a crisp shiny covering and very tasty with it.

Red Letter Day are out to give their new album some advance publicity and if tonight's set is anything to go by then it should be a cracker. Each time I see this band live they seem to get better which is a minor miracle seeing as they have been around for nigh on twenty years, but not ones to rest on their laurels they keep going and developing. Tonight they sound like punk with added vitamins, a swathe of alternative rock cutting into the sound and filling it with additional energy and passion. With frontman Ade his normal hyperactive self ( I'm sure he's been at his kids Smarties again!) and the band firing on all cylinders they are sounding really good and at this rate we'll still be watching them in another twenty years.

Tonight is not the best Bastion 4 gig I've seen, a fair few people have left and it doesn't really quite take off like it should. On their day, the Bastions are a band full of bravado, yobbish indie rock with some Clash style punk thrown in that have a strange ability to appeal to an indie crowd and a more 'townie' audience, quite strange but part of their charm. When they hit the spot, they really hit the spot but tonight feels more like a practice session which is a shame but there is always next time.

Dragon Eye Morrison + Little London + Mister Doom + Hellcyon - Messclean, Portsmouth. 15/07/05

2005-10-04T12:36:00.000+01:00

The much talked about 'Birth Of The Filth Trinity', a coming together of three of Portsmouth's finest rock bands for a night of ear splitting pleasure. Hellcyon have been given the chance to open the evening and while not a member of The Trinity they fit in perfectly well as they unleash a storm of groove metal that is way, way down there. They are one of those bands that are unable to stand still and gives the impression of having about twenty members on stage, twitching around as if they are having a metal fit, but when they hit that groove they go for it and it's a fine opening firing shot.

Mister Doom are the first of The Filth Trinity to flatten us; with an almost comical electric fan placed at the front of the stage to provide some relief from the heat, they serve up some serious metal with long locks flowing in the breeze, can you imagine a more metal image? In terms of music, Mister Doom are probably the most traditional band on tonight and would appeal to denim and leather clad rockers. Although they won't like me saying it, there was a slight Metallica feel tonight, more in the vocals than music but they come across as having an original take on the classic heavy rock genre. The music weaves a path through doom laden heavy riffs to passages of fairly melodic structures and they are more than happy to fit in some excellent solo guitar attacks; while a little rusty in places due to a lack of rehearsal they come across as a fine band.

Next up, possibly the filthiest band in Portsmouth at the moment, Little London. They already have a number of the fairer sex sporting Filth Trinity vests and worshipping at the altar of front man Dev and in true LL talk, they make me a little moist. I've raved about them before and I will do so again as they quite simply play honest Rock N Roll with a nice filthy edge and a huge helping of quality tunes. Little London are following in the footsteps of fine bands such as The Wildhearts, Therapy? (they stick in a cover during the set which sounded so good from the toilets that I thought Therapy? were actually on stage), Turbonegro and even Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction which is quite appropriate as their finest song has to be the mighty 'Love Reaction', an absolute classic beast of gargantuan proportions. An excellent set as I would expect from these lovable rogues.

I would hazard a guess that much alcohol had been consumed before DEM hit the stage as they fire off into complete chaos, a blur of limbs and noise as their sonic attack punches you in the face and kicks your teeth out. They are a ferocious take on modern metal, jarring rhythms and vomited vocals battling for attention while frontman Adam tries to put his guitar through the ceiling of the venue. DEM are quite a spectacle to watch, never ones for giving a dull performance they plough headlong through a heavy and brilliant set without a concern for their own or others safety; a mightily refreshing change from some of the dull Oasis indie types that nearly send you to sleep with their safe gigs.

So the birth of The Filth Trinity was quite something, four fine bands, far too much alcohol, no doubt a few injuries and some fine tunes, what a night.

Good Time Charlies + Surfless + Contra + The Skuds - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. 09/07/05

2005-09-16T14:01:00.000+01:00

A hastily arranged gig to cover a cancelled Saturday night reggae event means that the crowd is small tonight but the Charlies have managed to get the devoted out. But first we have to suffer the band that is The Skuds; second rate basic punk with put on gruff vocals and plenty of swearing. Funny for about two minutes before you realise they are for real and destroy a couple of classic covers, they look like kids pretending to be glue sniffing bad boys and it really doesn't work.

Contra on the other hand are the surprise package of the night; they make an impressive noise, angular guitar attacks blending with the sweetest melodies to build a wall of dense music that is enough to flatten you against the back wall. They also have a frontman who who has 'that' look about him, he doesn't move much or over act to get attention he just has that feel about him that makes you want to watch them...it must be something to do with the eyes, they draw you in, wrap you up in Contra's world and I know I'm not the only one who thought this as at least two other people made the same comment to me after their set. Very impressive and a band I want to see again as soon as possible.

Poor old Surfless, looks like their mates have stayed at home and nearly everyone else has retreated to the bar. They battle on in true 'the show must go on' style; tonight they are tight and play a decent set that sounds good in a bigger venue but one has to wonder how long they will keep going if people carry on ignoring them.

What can you say about the Good Time Charlies? Portsmouth's best Rock N Roll band continue to sound fresh and urgent despite being three albums old! There's no mucking around with these boys as they kick out the jams and inspire a pit of very drunken dancing. What I love about the Charlies is their knack for writing such damn catchy tunes that just pop into your head and then just stay there with their infectious choruses abusing your already alcohol drenched brain cells. And in true rock fashion they look good, not in that glossy styled way but in a real way, they look like a gang of best mates living out their rock n roll lifestyle without a care in the world. Long live Rock N Roll!

Manniquin + Rotating Leslie + Dregs Of Society - Messclean, Portsmouth. 08/07/05

2005-09-16T13:41:00.000+01:00

The Dregs see themselves as some kind of metal gods stuck somewhere between AC/DC and Guns N Roses and they do a pretty good impression of both when they rock out. This is pumped up manly rock with solid riffs and beats; shame the singer looks like he's just rushed in from his office job but if you look away you'd think Bon Scott was back. They are far too much like established bands to really break away from opening slots but they are a good warm up band and get the blood pumping.

Roating Leslie have arrived from London town and the NME have been sniffing around and with good reason judging by tonights set. They have that wonderful eclectic shambolic feel about them; jangly indie breaking down into almost dub rhythms and then jetting off into delicious space prog rock before returning to tightly played masterpieces. There is a nice wave of throbbing bass going on and two wonderfully textured guitars weaving their magic though it's a real battle to win over the local crowd who are here to see their mates, as is always the case when a visiting band invades Messclean. An excellent band worth catching if they venture your way and a name you may well hear more of in the future.

Mannequin seem to have shifted from a metal band into a full blown alt-rock beast that steams through a set of high paced groove laden songs. They have that nice loose feel about them and manage to combine a nice feel for melody and pure noise. A step in the right direction and it will be interesting to see how they develop from here.

Surfless + Fallout + 2 Shots Scarlett + Fingerless Hoodlum - Messclean, Portsmouth. 01/07/05

2005-09-16T13:17:00.000+01:00

Fingerless Hoodlum is just one man and his acoustic guitar hiding behind a wave of nerves, at times he his barely there such is the delicate nature of his songs. Admittedly, the chattering at the bar is in danger of wiping him out completely, but for those of us straining to hear we are rewarded with some fine tunes; think Johnny Cash doing sad sailor laments so fragile a gentle breeze could break them. A captivating set for those interested.

2 Shots Scarlett are also working as an acoustic act tonight but are far more in your face and screaming for attention. They start with a cover of 'Wicked Games' and it's clear that the female vocalist packs a fair punch, luckily their own material holds up well and comes across as good rock songs stripped of all the unnecessary thrills.

Another indie band mining the same vein as Verve etc. Fallout aim for that epic rock sound but in all truth they are a little dull; I find my mind wandering as nice melodies float past but don't take root. The problem I have with this type of music is that it is very safe and just not challenging; sure it's played well and would probably sound fine on the radio as background music but for me there is not enough interest.

Unfortunately by the time Surfless take the stage half the audience has gone but they give it their all anyway. Surfless have a big alternative melodic sound that is quite uplifting when it works well but you get the feeling it just isn't clicking tonight and at times some of the band look bored apart from the frontman who is his usual bundle of energy. A good band on their day but tonight is a bit of an anti-climax