Boy Kill Boy, Cool Ethan, Drift.
Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 12th November 2005.
Reviewed by Martin Stapleton / Pictures by Suzy Cook.
Somebody once said to me that youthful exuberance is the folly of the thoughtless - Well, BOY KILL BOY are that youth. With a sound akin to The Jam, 'Modern Life is Rubbish' era Blur and The Killers, this East London four piece draw heavily from all the aforementioned acts.
Making their Esquires debut, Boy Kill Boy are signed to the highly rated 'Fierce Panda' record label, an independent label which has nurtured some fine young talent in the past (such as Coldplay, Keane, Placebo and Supergrass, to name but a few) and they are in no doubt that this band can follow the same path as their more illustrious predecessors. To be honest, on tonight's performance it will be absolutely staggering if they fail.
Front man Chris is the talisman of the band but he is ably supported by Kev (guitar), Pete (keyboards) and Shaz (drums). They first launched into 'Back Again' and 'Killer' before they hit the next level with the scorching single 'Suzie' (already a huge favourite with Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe). The lyrics tell the tale of a typical Saturday nights clubbing - too much alcohol, too little sleep. It is around this point that I realise the hype was well justified and Boy Kill Boy are sensational! This impression is further enhanced when they unleash their previous single 'Civil Sin' which, with it's retro eighties synth pop sound, makes for a magical moment in a marvellous night.
Supporting tonight were firstly DRIFT, a Northampton four piece whose evident love of indie rock hit all the right notes. Their track 'Escape' was the highlight of a good set.
Following them were Beds/Herts lads COOL ETHAN whose charisma and unabashed sense of fun shone through their set. They were obviously enjoying themselves on stage, which really warmed them to the audience. A fine set which peaked with the track 'Hey Sweet Thing'.
Once again I find myself thanking the Hairgel boys for promoting such an enjoyable evening!
Review by Martin Stapleton. www.bedfordesquires.co.uk