Eyelash, Sirenide, Amy and the Integrals, Spiked.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 14th March 2008.

Eleven female performers as opposed to six male counterparts means that the theme of this evening could easily have been 'sisters are doing it for themselves!' as the ladies dominated tonights gig.

Beginning proceedings here were Hitchin's SPIKED, a band that always impress. If last year was a breakthrough for the girls, 2008 promises to be an exciting time, as many far-flung gigs are lined up, culminating in a mini-tour in Germany which they tell me they are very excited about. Incidentally, tonight is their 50th gig. That's amazing considering their young ages. Feistily, they start with "All Senses Lost". It's quite a heavy one, but the blueprint of hard hitting sounds has been set. "Pretty Like You" keeps the adrenaline pumping, but takes a quick time out for a snappy ska segment in the middle (I did like that). The punky "Poison Kiss" and "Be my Drama Queen" infuse more dynamic sound and vocals, and brings a confident request for the more nervous audience to step closer to the action! Except for a few too many longish pauses between the songs, its a set that ends with the excellent "Blood on your Favourite Dress" which puts the seal on another excellent performance from Spiked.

AMY AND THE INTEGRALS return with some more freshly written songs. Starting with "Once Upon a Journey", they move on to the marvellous "Jessica", a tender composition about the complexities of adolescent love. Movingly performed, this trio are now finding themselves. As from her 2007 solo gigs, Miss Lee finds the time for a cover, although Edwin singing "Golden Touch" was at this time perhaps a little ill-advised! The Integrals are back on track with the familiar "20 and a Reject" and the more reflective "I Need Your Help", which at it's close sees drummer Frankie exchange a pound coin with Edwin. (The story stays with those of us who were there!) The jaunty "Chavs of 2023" is always a pleasure, and Amy and Edwin on harmonies are on this occasion a joy.

SIRENIDE, phew! Tonight, what an explosive and a totally exceptional show. The Leighton Buzzard quintet have always held a special place here, and this evening's gig has to be probably their finest Esquires half-hour. Perhaps its due to the fact that new drummer Steve is now on board ( as Llovonne pointed out enthusiastically). His stick work was good, but then this was a total team performance. With a display like this they must be in a confident mood for their live and unsigned first heat show coming up shortly. It's their first single "Step Back" that they open up with. They literally rocked my socks off! The sheer enjoyment and intensity blisters my cynical old skin! The power of the rock ballad "Euphority" tells of the terrible events of 9/11, while the contrasting "Devil's Eye" seems to be the bands new favourite. "Bring It" closes Sirenide's set, but not before Llovonne and co. give us some awesome screams, superb and chilling.

Last year EYELASH gained an appearance at Donington, although they seldom appear here, local fans always turn out in force. Since I last saw them they have increased their number to five. With more female vocal interplay, the variety spreads throughout the majority of their songs of which "White Trash" and "Love Dies" shine like the colour of their glamorous outfits.