Djevara, Five Miles Down, Lady and the Tramps.

Bedford Esquires Lev 1. 25th May. 2007.

'One for the Underground' moved downstairs into the more intimate surroundings of Danny's Bar this evening, with not a local band in sight.

Midlands based LADY AND THE TRAMPS alias Beauty and the Beasts alias Dani (vocals/bass), Grant (guitar/vocals), Paul (guitar) and Joel (drums) got the evening underway.
In a surreal musical world Lady and the Tramps are Britney Spears meets Black Sabbath! In their six song set they incorporate an eclectic fusion of catchy pop melodies, punchy guitars and killer beats. They start with 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' (thankfully, not that one) which in the main sticks rigidly to an uptempo beat before breaking neatly towards the end into a light reggae scat. It is a wide ranging set that, because of the female vocals, draws musical comparisons with Hole, especially 'Pretty' and 'Barbie Doll'. Both are quite grungey while 'City Lights' is pure Kim Deal. The beautiful stripped down acoustic strains of 'Dear My Love' offer a sharp contrast as Lady and the Tramps combine the sound of the past, present and future.

FILE MILES DOWN hail from Brentwood, Essex. They are Paul Synn, Phil Ryland, and Nick Castone. Influences range from Queens of the Stone Age to Buck Cherry. Unfortunately for the trio they endured a gruelling Friday evening drive to play for us, but it certainly did not impair their performance which hits a peak with the powerful rock ballad 'Emily' and the slow burning 'Vegas Casino'. With recent exposure in Kerrang, the free and easy eponymous 'Five Miles Down' draws their set to a close.

So to our last band, DJEVARA from North London. At present they are touring the country to promote their second and current album, the ominously titled 'Third World War, Cast the First Stone'. Their sound is edgy and dark whilst their lyrics are fiercely political. Djevara are Punk in attitude, Metal in sound, Hardcore in intensity, Alternative in disposition and multi-cultural in composition. Their focal point is frontman Bano, the brains behind the band, who puts his point of view across in each and every song - both verbally and physically (I'm told he also drives the van!)
This dreadlocked warrior (think Kele of Bloc Party undergoing a metamorphosis) has daubed Tippex on his face and chest while quoting from Grandmaster Flash; "Don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge" The political rants seldom cease, a welcome change from some of the soporific lyrics of current chart bands - "This is black music, this is white music, don't back down" he demands while dedicating 'Freedoms Ghost' to the people of Zimbabwe.
Powerful, emotive, a sonorous sensation. As in the late seventies when many band were making overtly political statement songs, Djerva are to be applauded and commended.