Anemic, Clearview Kills, None is the Number, The Abner.

Esquires Bedford Lev 2 18th August 2006.

An interesting ‘One For The Underground’ showcase this evening, that takes a distinctly American flavour thanks to Pennsylvania’s Clearview Kills and the Californian headliners, Anemic…

Essex boys, THE ABNER, perhaps need to toughen up a bit, as they seem rather put out by the fact that the crowd aren’t giving them their full attention, and similarly alarmed that some even have their backs turned to them; but delusions of their own grandeur aside, the quartet put on a pretty convincing show. As the hyperactive, dread-locked front man stamps and thrusts around the stage, switching between rough screams and sung choruses there’s a hint of Incubus’ Brandon Boyd to his vocals, not to mention a distinct influence of System Of A Down in the pop-metal, catchy melody and quirky lyrics of the closing number, ‘Disco’.

NONE IS THE NUMBER are a bit of a shock to the system this evening, and a long way away from the brutal hardcore and pulverising punk that usually characterises Paul Craven’s ‘One For The Underground’ showcases, yet with their big and heavy alternative rock sound mixed with some rolling rock ‘n’ roll this Bedford/Luton four-piece convincingly explode into action on stage and put on a polished performance that holds a big crowd.

That crowd, however, thins out a little after the driving rock of None Is The Number, but that doesn’t seem to faze CLEARVIEW Kills. All the way from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this quintet have a distinctly American sound to their raw punk-metal mix, with equal measures of rock ‘n’ roll riffs, punk shouts, big hooks and brutal drumming that’s powerful enough to make your teeth chatter. It’s a short set, but wild and intense enough to leave you feeling satisfied.

ANEMIC continue the American flavour as they launch into their opener ‘The Formula’, the standout track from their recently released third album, ‘A Combination For Disaster’, as they begin a set of short songs that burst in, punch you in the face and disappear in a blur. As they stop to catch their breath, the genuine energy and passion of this band is apparent in their heartfelt thank yous; despite a stressful tour Anemic still manage to bring the fun back to rock with their combination of hard-hitting metal and anthemic, song-along choruses whilst bringing some Californian punk-rock glamour to Bedford Esquires.