Brigante, Bowfinger, The Escape, Chris Wright, Mr Barbs.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 27th March 2009.

A young gentleman by the name of MR BARBS opened the musical fare this evening. Hailing from the east of the county, the first thing I notice is that he has his myspace web site written on a strip of masking tape which is stuck on his guitar. Almost as noticeable is the hairstyle! Long floppy strands cover almost a third of his face. Distinctive yes, but I would think mildly irritating. His face is very deadpan throughout, giving very little away. The unusual practice of using three guitars during the set is also worthy of note. One of these is rather on the small side. This is seen immediately as he changes on the opening "The little things" to the gleaming acoustic 'axe' sported on "In the shadows". "For Georgia" is new, in fact written "only the other day". The undoubted high spot for me has to be "Nights like this". As Mr Barbs so accurately sings "These nights are so very few". "Buckled" could well have been a page torn out of Neil Young's dog eared manual. Yes, it's a fitting finale.

CHRIS WRIGHT is no stranger to our venue. He confidently strides on stage and, from his physique, he could easily be a middleweight boxer. Powerfully built, his rippling tattooed muscles bulge out of an undersized Burtons T-shirt. Shaven headed with a neatly trimmed beard, his vocal style is a full repertoire of mellow offerings. The rather abrupt end to "I see you standing there" is a tad unsettling, however the chorus driven "Sweet Lily" really hits the mark. Sensing that the love songs are chillin' us out excessively, Chris plays his ace with "Midnight dream". Knowingly he declares "This one will wake you up!" and he's right, it did! With the job completed, "I sail the sea" is quite a reflective closure.

Talented young trio THE ESCAPE always, I feel, radiate such enormous energy. Although it is clear by this time that the vast majority of the audience have come out to party with the headliners, the lads thankfully kept to their principle aim. Blending their precocious talent with the ability to create an innovative sound, it tries to put a new twist on the indie-rock formula. Melodic guitar riffing aplenty, it drives their well crafted songs forward to totally satisfy. They include a couple of new ones, namely "Height" and "Time of day", which I am sure will prove just as popular as their older material.

Prior to their appearance tonight, BOWFINGER's lovable vocalist Ed reflected on his band and Esquires in general. He told me how much they enjoyed playing here which, in various guises, amounts to some eighteen years. They have been at the hub of Esquires history. It sits well with him and the band who have been very inactive during the year, this being only their second gig of 2009. The hiatus has been kind and the boys are certainly ready. A couple of new songs are included, of which "Snappy" certainly appears to be perfect for the Bowfinger aficionados. A love of ska is evident. The rhythms are 'bashed out' with such effortless panache. With seventies new wave ethics obeyed, they combine that spiky psyche with a sixties pop sheen. The bevy of popular tunes are still gratefully received.

Since their last Esquires visit at last years Red Stripe music gig, BRIGANTE have undergone a line up change. Luke has taken on vocals and he displays a casual laid back style. It's he who weaves the band into such a cohesive whole. The quartet are beginning to find their feet again. They rock politely with controlled musicianship and a scuffed magnetism. The rebirth of Bgigante has finally begun. An intriguing mix of "Break it up" and The Ting Tings "Thats not my name" works really well when it shouldn't. The army of Brigante followers justly deserve an encore and duly receive one from a band who tonight enjoyed what they created.