A joyous celebration of the most cheesiest of tuneage, the love song, the annual St Valentines Day Massacre event has been a staple on the Southsea musical landscape since 2013. The Massacre has grown in popularity since its inception, selling out original venue Edge of The Wedge so regularly that it moved to the larger confines of the Wedgewood Rooms last year (filling the venue and raising over £2000 for its chosen charity in the process).
All proceeds from the event are donated to the National Foundation of Youth Music, a national charity which invests in music-based projects, helping children & young people to develop personally, socially and musically. Monies raised will help provide musical education & equipment to children who would not otherwise receive it.
The rules of the Massacre are simple enough, all acts get 15 minutes
on stage to perform their favourite soppy tunes; they can play
whatever they like but the songs must "deal in love, lust or
heartbreak". Simple enough, yet it opens the door wide on a vast amount of surprising, interesting or just plain weird cover versions.
The line-up for this year's Massacre includes the likes of Battery Hens, Cyprian Sceptre, Glorious Bulletheads, Guilt Trippin, Halliwell, Horseflies, Hooch, Make Them All Melt (a Make Them All Smile/Melt Dunessupergroup), Waif & Stray and.. some Mystery Guests! If the possibility of hearing a speed metal version of A Million Love Songs or a funked up I Just Call To Say I Love You is tempting (and it is to me) then you should point your feet in the direction of The Wedgewood Rooms on Saturday 16th February. Tickets for this possibly romantic shindig are priced at a very reasonable £5, plus there's a mega raffle where prizes donated by a variety of local businesses could be won, and a good time is pretty much guaranteed. Which is nice.
It seems to me that the relatively simple task of picking a small selection of bands to see at Southsea Fest becomes more difficult every year. That said perhaps I'm deluding myself that it was ever simple (every year I try, and usually fail, to be in several places at once to take in all of the delights on offer) and this year's line-up is, in my opinion, stronger than ever. Eventually, after much poring over the Clashfinder, scratching of head and imbibing of caffeine, I came up with these suggestions for acts that you should maybe see this year...
Honeyblood - The Wine Vaults 'Pie & Vinyl' stage [2100-2130] Last year, at the inaugural Gland Rock, I found myself the lucky recipient of a bag of Fat Cat vinyl in the raffle. This stuffed Santa's bag of aural delights somehow made it home safely, despite my tired and emotional state (it had been a long day) and the next morning, whilst my hangover slowly abated, I rifled through my red felt sack. Tucked away inside I found a lone 7" single, Bug by Honeyblood, on soothing mellow pink vinyl. None of this is any explanation why you should see Honeyblood at Southsea Fest but, if you need one, know that they can make cakes explode with their minds.
Battery Hens - Southsea Social Club 'Champagne Justice' stage [1355-1725] At Southsea Fest 2012 I found myself in the cramped confines that is the tiny room above Bar 56, watching a dedicated if not sizable mosh pit wreck themselves to Battery Hens. To this day I still have no idea how I made it out of there without being drenched in lager. If you like noise, and don't mind flying lager, then these are for you.
Wyldest - Bar 56 'Strong Island Recordings' stage [1520-1600] & Magick Bean Café 'The Boy I Used To Be' curated stage [1820-1900] The duo of Wyldest (or Wildest Dreams as was) have had an eventful year so far. They've won a slot at Green Man, been tipped for great things by various music blogs and, to top it off, have had to change their name. All that and they still had time to produce a fantastic cover of Kate Bush's Cloudbusting.
Mazes - The Wine Vaults 'Pie & Vinyl' stage [2200-2300] Manchester's Mazes arrive at Southsea Fest with a new album, Wooden Aquarium, under their belts. No, I haven't got it yet so I can't witter on about how good it most likely is; you'll have to toddle along to the Vaults and find out for yourselves instead.
Prides - Little Johnny Russell's 'Psychedelia/Quay West' stage [2130-2200] Scottish trio Prides recently supported Foxes on tour and played the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. If you don't get your synthpop fix fully sated by Curxes earlier in the day, and are jonesing for some 80s style keyboards and drums as Southsea Fest works its way into the night, then this lot should sort you out.
Gossling - Kings Theatre 'Southsea Fest' stage [1900-1930] Australian Helen Croome produces beautiful folk-pop tunes, made slightly off kilter by her distinctive vocals. Quite lovely.
Fear of Men - Southsea Social Club 'Champagne Justice' stage [2200-2245] Floaty but dark indie pop from Brighton, you can already feel yourself swaying along...
A selection of different acts then, different styles of music, some local and some from further afield. If none of these tickle your fancy, and if you have seven (!) hours to spare, I heartily recommend sampling the official Spotify playlist. If anything it made my cogitations more difficult (such that my plan for five acts to see went right out of the window) but there are gems on there waiting to be heard (including Brontide who, sadly, have had to pull out of Saturday's shenanigans).
Southsea Fest 2014 also sees a couple of local bands bowing out in style, both Attack! Vipers! and The B of The Bang have announced that theyll be playing their last gigs this weekend. Typically, in yet another turn of the festival screw, the Bang's set clashes with that of Curxes so, if you happen to spot a goatee'd oaf bundling across the road from the Kings Theatre to the Wedgewood Rooms (or vice versa) around 1520 on Saturday afternoon, chances are it'll be me.
Several years ago now, back in 2006, a chum and I hopped the bus to Wickham for a day out at the village's then fledgling festival. Having avoided the massed Morris Dancers (one of whom stopped traffic by trying to stare down a bus) we pitched up in the bar to enjoy the day's entertainments, specifically the mid-afternoon set from Devon's Seth Lakeman.
Of course, as events have a way of transpiring, I missed most (well, pretty much all) of Mr Lakeman's set as my chum and I were having a cheeky beer with Scottish songsmith (and thoroughly nice chap) King Creosote who, having just entertained the crowd with a large chunk of KC Rules OK, had strolled into the bar with his backing band. Oh well, these things happen.
Moving swiftly on, Seth Lakeman is, as he seems to be quite frequently of late, on the road again. His autumn/winter tour, in support of the forthcoming 'Tales From The Barrel House' album, makes a couple of stops on the south coast this December; the Mercury Award nominee will pitch up at Brighton's Concorde 2 on Wednesday 14th December (tickets are priced at £18 in advance) before moseying along to The Brook in Southampton on Thursday 15th December (tickets £19 in advance).
UPDATE: The tour now includes a date at The Wedgewood Rooms, Wednesday 29th February. Tickets are on sale now priced £18 in advance.
The NME Radar Tour always throws up a mixed bag of musical delights; like a tin of Quality Street you're never quite sure if you're going to get the Noisette Triangle or the Peanut Cracknell. The bands on this, the Autumn leg of the tour, are not unknown quantities however, I'd made sure I downloaded the tour EP from the venerable music mag's website beforehand. Nice.
Sweden's Niki & the Dove are first up; lead singer Malin Dahlström appears to have raided Cyndi Lauper's wardrobe whilst keyboardist Gustaf Karlöf has come straight from the set of Miami Vice. These are good things; I liked Cyndi Lauper, I liked Miami Vice and, is it transpires, I really love Niki & The Dove. I could be objective and witter on about where the elements of their music have been lifted from, or make comparisons to other fine acts from Scandinavian parts *koff*The Knife*koff* but, honestly, where's the fun in that? Suffice to say that I thought their performance was excellent, powerful, gripping and delicate. So, after this wonderful start, what follows?
Next to tread the boards are S.C.U.M, a London-based five piece who [reads notes] take their name from Valerie Solanas' SCUM Manifesto. They're a hairy combination of pretentions and driving beats and, whilst I like the sound the band produce, I must confess I find it lacking when compared to The Horrors' current and similarly 80s flavoured tunes. Ultimately it's the antics of the lead singer that begin to disjoint my gigging experience; within two songs of their set the lead singer has appealed to the lighting engineer for the front of stage illuminations to be turned off. This, he assures us, will make things nicer. Subsequent to this he prances around the stage, barefoot, finally sitting down out of sight of the audience. Sitting down, on the stage, right where the singer from The Computers spat copiously several weeks previously. Oh dear.
The final band of the evening are Wolf Gang. Throughout the two previous sets my attention has been slowly drawn to a large white cube, resting on a keyboard stand, at the rear of the stage. Given that it was emblazoned with a large W and a large G I surmised, correctly, that it was part of Wolf Gang's stage accoutrements. Other than the natty scarf the lead singer employs to differentiate himself from the rest of his suitably attired cohorts, this is pretty much the most interesting thing I can say about their live set. Whilst I liked what I heard previously the live experience, especially after Niki & The Dove and S.C.U.M, is to my ears bland to say the least. I recall muttering something Coldplay related under my breath (I know, I shouldn't but...) before making for the door, it looked like we got the Toffee Penny in the end after all.
It's hard to believe I know but Chaos, Portsmouth's legendary alternative club night, is 20 years old this year. Since its inception in 1991 its entertained thousands with its fresh and dirty approach to music, first at South Parade Pier and, more recently, at the Wedgewood Rooms. Along the way its twice won The News' Guide AwardsBest Club Night & Best DJs and has quite comfortably become the South Coast's longest running independent club night. The 20th anniversary Chaosis scheduled for Saturday 26th November but, before you get a hankering for a slice of cake, any celebration must be tempered by the knowledge that it will also be the last Chaos; after 20 years of outstanding club nights the good people behind the scenes have decided to call it a day. The reasons behind the decision are both straightforward (20 years is a long time) and logical (there are many more pubs and venues offering a wide choice of music, wider than when the club night started) and fully explained on their website.
Over the years I've had some very good and, on occasion, very bad nights at Chaos, pretty much dependent on the amount of alcohol imbibed (more beer = more jumping around like a loonie). I'm old enough to (hazily) remember loud and raucous nights at the Albert Tavern on South Parade Pier, hopping over the moat of broken glass at the bar to get the beers in (and never risking the Sangria). I'd awake the next morning a fetid mess, wreathed in the smell of cigarette smoke and stale alcohol. Good times indeed.
Before it goes the way of Topdoris there are still a few opportunities to experience 'that Chaos feeling' before the lights finally dim over the wheels of steel; first up is this coming Saturday 8th October (£5 advance), then there's the legendary Halloween Special on Saturday 29th October (£6 advance). That sets things up nicely for the final Chaos, a two room celebration featuring DJs both old and current, all of whom will be spinning a cavalcade of Chaos classics (fingers crossed for Limp Bizkit's cover of Faith). Tickets will be £7 in advance and should be available soon. See you down the front then, yes?
One of the great things about living in the Portsmouth area (aside from the close proximity of my favourite venue and the exquisite joy and pain of supporting the local football team) is Southsea Fest; this annual event, now in its 5th year, turns Albert Road into a showcase of new and interesting music with various pubs and venues along the thoroughfare becoming stages for the day. As festivals go it ticks all the boxes; there's a variety of bands to suit most tastes, the beer is reasonably priced and neither rain nor mud can interfere with your enjoyment.
Over the past few years I've enjoyed stumbling across many bands that I'd not previously heard of (no, really), some of whom have gone on to great things whilst some have stayed in the shadows. I've bought CDs, stuffed my pockets with stickers and signed up for mailing lists. I've also seen a large mouse be interviewed for TV and ended up looking after a three-legged wooden pig for an hour, but those are stories for another time.
Moving swiftly on, I've perused the line-up and picked five of the many, many fine acts playing tomorrow that I'd like to see, as follows:
Dry The River 2210-2300 @ The Globe Inn A five piece from London that produce a mellow alt-folk layered with violins and very distinctive vocals.
Clock Opera 2120-2150 @ The Wedgewood Rooms I'm fairly sure I caught these as a support for someone awhile back. I can't remember who they supported, or when, but I do recall that they made a very good impression.
Trophy Wife 2210-2240 @ The Wedgewood Rooms (Club NME stage) I caught a snippet of Trophy Wife's Bestival set at the Bandstand last weekend, excellent synthy indie (with guitar noodlings) from Oxford.
Jumping Ships 1400-1435 @ The Edge of The Wedge (BSM & Alcopop! stage) To be honest I don't really know all that much about Jumping Ships. I know they're from Brighton and I know that they create a spikey indie pop noise; I've been to Brighton, I like spikey indie pop, and I like the way Jumping Ships play it.
Apollo's Arrows 1420-1450 @ Southsea Social Club Apollo's Arrows hail from just up the road, a Southampton trio that produce a powerfully delivered alternative sound (I'm sure there's more than a sprinkle of At The Drive-In in there). Nice.
The fun starts tomorrow at midday, if you've not yet got your ticket then you might be lucky enough to get one on the day (I'd advise getting there early though, the event's Twitter feed was this morning advising less than 50 tickets available from the Kings Theatre and the Wine Vaults).
A few years ago, at the Blues On The Farm Festival just outside Chichester, I stumbled upon a jaw-dropping sight; a mad-eyed bald man pinballing around the stage, fixing the audience with an electrically charged stare, all the while delivering scorching riffs aplenty.
I'll have another chance to experience this spectable when Wilko Johnson, for it was he, plays The Wedgewood Rooms on Sunday 23rd October. Ably backed by Dylan Howe on drums and virtuoso bass player Norman Watt-Roy, the ex-Blockheadand ex-Dr. Feelgoodguitarist has visited Pompey several times over the years (notably to highly appreciative audiences at The Cellars) but now brings his solo set to a larger venue. Tickets are available from the venue now, priced at £12.50, with support from recent Showcase entrants The Vortex Buzz and local legends The Good Time Charlies.
New York's indie popsters The Drums, who release second album Portamento next month, have announced a string of UK dates this November and December. Notable on the list is a return visit to The Pyramids on Tuesday 6th December; the band played there previously on the 2010 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour. Tickets go on sale this coming Friday, available from The Wedgewood Rooms, priced at £14.50.
It seems like it was only Saturday night that the sterling video for Introdiction was first thrust in front of me, my drunken eyes widening as the bearded wordsmith defoliated his face fuzz before setting about his televisual hovel. And that's probably because it was; shame on me for not watching it before. Moving swiftly on, today comes news that Scroobius Pip will be hitting The Wedgewood Rooms this November, on Thursday 10th to be precise. Tickets are £9, on sale now from the venue, with solo album Distraction Pieces released on September 19th (if you can't wait til then, you can always bid on his beard shavings).
Rock and Metal club night Evolution returns to The Wedgewood Rooms tomorrow night for a second inning, the poster above tells you all you need to know but, just for the hell of it, why don't I just run through the line-up anyway; there's live music from Bare Your Scars, Freakpit, Toxic Shock and the mighty Kodiak Jack, plus classic tunes til late courtesy of resident DJs Hev Stilet Hoe, DJ Matt Random and The Reverend Eales. The through doors to The Edge will be opened up as well, the overspill bar hosting some Hip Hop as well as comfy chairs. The price of admission for the gig part of the evening is a bargain £4 and entry after 2300 is FREE! For more information on Evolution check out their website or their Facebook page.
The announcement that Pure Reason Revolution were calling it a day popped up in my Facebook feed earlier; the Reading alternative prog rockers have cited 'changing circumstances' but whatever the real reason it's a damn shame. I first stumbled across the band several years ago, supporting Mew at The Wedgewood Rooms if memory serves, and with their intoxicating blend of harmonies and melodic (and, yes, progressive) rock they soon became a band that my gigging buddies and I obsessively followed.
We bought the CDs, coveted the badges, used the bookmarks given away at the merchandising desk and waited with bated breath for news of a new release. Time passed only for debut album The Dark Third to be re-released in a slightly different form. Of course, we bought that too. Our fanboy ardour waned as the months went by; after a disappointing gig at The Joiners, beset with technical issues, one of our number decided that was enough. Our fickle fandom could only take so much.
However, being the kind of sad music obsessive that I am, I couldn't give them up completely. I scoured the internet for updates, there were rumours of the new album, but I wouldn't believe it until I had a copy in my grubby mitts. So it was, some months later, that I again found myself at The Joiners. The rumours were true; a pile of shiny new CDs, all in shiny cardboard sleeves, teased me from the merchandise desk.
Second album, Amor Vincit Omnia, dispensed with the lush strings from the debut, replacing them with dollops of synthesizer. The harmonies and repeated themes remained but, despite a couple of excellent signature tunes (Deus Ex Machina and Victorious Cupid), it wasn't as wholly satisfying a listen as their debut. Where the album succeeded though was in showing a band confident enough to experiment with their sound.
Not letting the dust settle PRR continued their push into electronic territories, perfecting their efforts on third long player Hammer and Anvil. Co-written and produced by Tom Bellamy (ex-Cooper Temple Clause) the album is a heavy, pounding, synth happy delight; throat-grabbing opener Fight Fire is a song that seems designed to accompany things blowing up.
Shortly after Hammer and Anvil's release I saw the band for what now looks to be the last time, at last year's SouthseaFest; having drawn the opening slot on the Wedge stage the band found themselves playing to a mostly empty room. No matter, they cranked the dials up to 11 and played a charged set sampling their new long player. This was a band ready to seize the day, or so I thought at the time; I really do have a kiss of death about these things. But before they bid the crowds adieu, pack up their instruments and go their separate ways, the band will be playing a final six shows. The 'farewell tour' takes in Nottingham, Bristol, Norwich, Holmfirth, Glasgow and London (but sadly no 'one last time' at The Joiners, which is a shame) with debut The Dark Third being played in its entirety each night. A good way to say goodbye, if there is such a thing.
From the high-pitched warbling of La Roux to the raucous stage antics of Crystal Castles, the NME Radar Tour always offers the experience of something different, interesting or down-right weird. Earlier this year the crowd at theWedgewood Rooms were treated to the delights of Grouplove and the awesome Anna Calvi when the Spring leg of the tour landed in Portsmouth (unfortunately I arrived too late to experience The History of Apple Pie).
The line-up for the Autumn leg of the tour features in this week's edition of the NME; Wolf Gangheadline with post-punk five-some S.C.U.M. taking the second space on the bill. The remaining slot is split between Stockholm's Niki & The Dove and Australian thrash popsters DZ Deathrays.
The peripatetic tour stumbles into Portsmouth on Tuesday 4th October with the venerable Wedgewood Rooms again hosting. After a spell away in northern climes the tour returns to the South Coast a fortnight later, pitching up at Brighton's Concorde 2 on Monday 17th October when all four bands will feature.
Indie pop rockers Guillemots have announced details of their Autumn tour, including two dates down south; the band play Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms on Sunday 30th October and are at The Old Market in Brighton the following night, Monday 31st October. Expect to hear chunks of new album Walk The River alongside a selection of tunes from the band's first two albums and, more than likely, that Billy Joel song as well.
Little has been heard of London alternative rockers The Duke Spirit since dust settled on 2008's Neptune. The band have been on an extended sojourn in the US, gigging and working on forthcoming long player Bruiser, but are now back in Blighty, showcasing new material on a tour of smaller venues.
Having recently played just up the road in Southampton I hadn't expected to see 'sold out' on the door, even so I'm surprised to find the Wedge a shave under half full. It's still a good crowd for a band who've been away awhile though.
Before Liela and chums entertain us we've the support act to enjoy/endure. Going by the moniker of The Computers they're an unknown quantity. Neither I nor my gigging buddies have heard of them but already we've come to the same conclusion; that''s a crap name for a band, it fails the all important "Good Evening Springfield" test for a start.
We're further perturbed when, sporting Mark Lamarr-style 50's throwback quiffs, they take the stage. "Oh crap", one of my chums mutters, "they're a Rockabilly band". Collectively we make the decision to point feet toward the bar and hide out there. Too late, there go the lights. We realise our mistake in judging them on their name and look up almost immediately; a sonic assault of indie powered punk, all loud guitars and throat ripping vocals, hits us amidships.
Short spikey songs, powered with rage and delivered with attitude, fire out from the stage. Between tunes the lead singer hawks another gob of spit on the floor and shakes the quiff out of his eyes. That guy down the front, you know the one, yells something we can't quite hear (but can catch the gist of); too much talking between songs. He gets a volley of expletives for his trouble as the band launches into another rocket-powered opus.
As the set progresses the lead singer/guitarist keeps moving his mic stand ever closer to the edge of the stage, into the gap by the barrier, then into the audience. He finishes up at the rear of the room, doubled-over in guitar-gasm, next to three 40ish year old blokes with jaws dropped open (guess who).
Unfortunately, after this debauched display, it pains me to admit that the headline act pale by comparison. Yes, The Duke Spirit can rock. They can roll. They can do both at the same time even but, after The Computers' energetic performance, their static stage presence seems tired.
Tracks from the first two albums sound as good as ever and new song Villain, available as a free download from the band's website, entertains. But they don't grab me, shake me, throw me to the floor and pick me back up again. I've been broken by The Computers and The Duke Spirit can't fix me.
We hear the end of the headliners' set from the relative comfort of the foyer where, as fate would have it, The Computers' lead singer is manning the Merch desk. Like the drunken fanboys we are we gush over their performance, handing over cash for CDs and coloured vinyl.
But, we tell him, that really is a crap name for a band.
The Law have been added to the bill for Timshel's double album launch gig there on Saturday 28th July; not content with releasing one long player, the Southampton based band are releasing two CDs, Burnt Fingers and Keeping Me Home, for the public's aural pleasure.
Also on the bill are Ninja Biscuits, Guildford's The Savage JazzandSkyline Heroes from the Isle of Wight. Tickets are a bargain £5.00 and are available from the venue or direct from the bands.
The sight of four young whippersnappers, dressed in hot-pants and skimpy pink vests, decorated with stick-on Abe Lincoln beards and stovepipe hats, brought much amusement to the bar of The Wedgewood Rooms last night. Electric Six headlining had something to do with it (well, I'm hoping it did, if not there's something dodgy afoot).
Unfortunately, not having seen the promo for Gay Bar, the connection was lost on Jim; us drunkenly explaining why four (most likely) students were dressed in such a manner didn't really help matters either. It's always best, I find, to show rather than tell:
Just plain bonkers I tell you.
Anyway, the band's latest album, Switzerland, has been out awhile and, whilst it didn't exactly set the charts alight, is worth a listen. If you head over to Fluxblog you should just about be in time to download one track, Mr Woman, before it drops off the site's server. Nice.
Kasabian will be prepping for their appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival this year by playing a warm-up gig at The Wedgewood Rooms the night before, Friday 8th June. Tickets are £25.00 each and are limited to two per person.
And, yes, it's sold out already.
Doh.
Well, I suppose I could cross my fingers that The Rolling Stones pull a similar stunt and play an impromptu gig somewhere in Portsmouth the night before. Knowing my luck though The Feeling will pitch up in my local instead.
Even saying the word can provoke an instant, sometimes violent, reaction in people. An over-exposure to Kenny Ball's Jazzmen at an early age can scar someone for life; just the image of a moustachioed man in a bowler hat can cause cold sweats and tremors in folks I know.
Not me though. Oh no.
Unfortunately it's likely this mental conditioning of what jazz is that puts people off. It may also explain the dearth of jazz in our record shops, something Courtney Pine railed against at the end of his set last night, and perhaps even the less than full venue in which he found himself.
Perhaps.
For the most part the ebullient Pine entertained us with some funky slices of sax jazz, backed by his exceedingly talented band (two fifths of which had acted as his support). A selection of his back catalogue, mixed with jazz standards such as the classic Take Five, were dropped on us like funky bombs. The hep-cat kids standing next to me were getting down, the tall guy in front of me was definitely nodding his head.
Great.
Unfortunately just weaving around the melody wasn't enough for Pine; soon the stereotypical jazz noodlings started and I had to strain to hear the notes he wasn't playing. The hep-cat kids were in ecstasy but I was getting lost. And then it got silly. Playing a saxophone fast is one thing and there's no denying that the saxophonic callasthenics were technically impressive. But playing it with no hands, or playing two at once? That's just showing off.
This was showboating for its own sake, the kind of musical masturbation I imagine Steve Vai gets up to. But I appeared to be alone in my opinion. The majority of the audience clapped politely after each noodly tootle; the hep-cat kids next to me shouted their appreciation and blew a large herbal cloud in my direction.
Mellow.
If I could play two saxophones at once I'd damn sure let everyone know about it, but it's a talent I feel would be more at home on Opportunity Knocks than onstage at The Wedgewood Rooms. Thankfully the showing off was reined in toward the end of the set and we were treated to a funky take on the Billy Taylor Trio'sI Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free) for putting up with it.
Nice.
Before sending us out into the rain, and after making us jump up and down seventy two times to show our commitment to jazz, Courtney Pine made an impassioned plea on behalf of the UK jazz scene. Sadly, to a casual bystander like myself, the more outlandish elements of the evening's performance appear to explain the state it's in.
By my own admission I'm a gig whore; I love gigs, I just love 'em. That said, I've never being much of a Skunk Anansie fan so, quite unbelievably, I had to be talked into this one (my willpower has the breaking strain of a Kit Kat where gigs are concerned though, so it's not like I had to have my arm twisted that much).
Brighton's Make Good Your Escape kicked off the evening. From my position at the rear of The Wedgewood Rooms, I could only see three people onstage, I therefore naturally assumed that the muezzin-style introduction was a backing tape. No, though I only realised this as the band's front man slowly got to his feet. In addition to being possessed of a powerful range lead singer Mike Yates also has a comfortable stage presence; he works the crowd whilst the guitar and bass players blur out in time to the music, the drummer hiding at the back (only surfacing to run offstage for a disposable camera, returning to snap a a photo of the audience).
In a "it's late and I'm lazy and I've mislaid my big book of adjectives" way to describe their sound I'd say that they started off with a Mew\Muse feel (power chords, power vocals), changing to a more Muse\U2 sound as their set progressed (slightly more anthemic, mellower lyrics). All good though, and I'd like to hear more of them (luckily there are a few MP3s available from the band's website).
Skin stalked onstage, a woolly hat covering her trademark shaved head, and grabbed the microphone firmly by the stand. Lifting it above her head she began to sing and, frankly, wow. Her vocals boomed though, I must confess, they sounded slightly muffled. All was explained after two songs when, after trying in vain to introduce herself to the audience, she discovered her radio mic wasn't switched on.
Whoops.
Luckily a flick of a switch was all it took to fix matters, and then full power of her vocals became apparent (especially in a small venue like the Wedge). Not wanting to take the easy route, and save the crowd-pleasers for the encore, Skin decided to not only sing Weak early on but also to perform it in a mellower style.
There was no hiding the fact that Skin was enjoying herself, easily evident from the manic grin she sported throughout the set, and she was having so much fun she went walkabout to the back of the Wedge (aren't radio microphones great?). Later, during Take Me On, a new song which is, as she herself put it, "another [one] about fucking", she went crowd surfing too. A couple of Skunk Anansie tracks were dropped in amongst the new songs to appease te ardent fans, the new material though sounded both very raw and very good; I have it on good authority that her first solo CD was a mellow affair, it appears though that Skin is returning with all guns blazing with the new material which has something of a punk edge to it.
The set finished up with a cracking cover of Electronic's Getting Away With It, bang on the stroke of 11. After an all too brief encore Skin bounded offstage, sporting the biggest grin ever. An excellent gig then; I'm very glad I went and I'm looking forward to hearing her new album when it's released early next year. Hopefully she'll be touring it...
