Jakobi, The Ruby Shoes.

Esquires Bedford Lev 1. 2nd February 2006.

Once again the downstairs of Esquires is filled with people and anticipation as the regular Thursday showcase night is here again, featuring two bands hoping to impress.

First up are THE RUBY SHOES, a four piece from Dunstable. Comprising of Adam (lead guitar), Chris (bass / backing vocals) and Will (drums) and Matt (lead vocal / rhythm guitar), who is no stranger to this venue having previously played in Surefire here a few years ago.
The bands philosophy on their music style is simple and to the point - 'If you like your drums loud, your bass low and your riffs sharp then shake, rattle and roll with The Ruby Shoes'!
This philosophy was certainly demonstrated with their opener 'Stand Up' which had a solid beat and rasping vocals. Displaying a 'in yer face' ballsy attitude, The Ruby Shoes created a good impression, none more so when they called for a little crowd participation on 'Sweet', a track with a rich bluesy feel to it. A manic drum solo heralded the start of the more poppy 'Shut Up and Dance' which eventually climaxed into a rousing crescendo of noise. 'Vegas Showman' featured a compelling riff which intertwined with the vocal throughout. The Ruby Shoes have gigs lined up in Sheffield, Brighton and London but I hope they come back to Bedford very soon!

Following them tonight were JAKOBI who list their members as Richard (vocals / guitar), Iain (guitar), Simon (bass), and Flozz (drums) and include heavy drinking as their main interest. Judging by the number of times they visited the bar over the course of the evening, they appear to be experts in their chosen field!
Paying us a visit all the way from the hometown of St. Ives, the boys eased themselves in gently with 'Fine Lines' before all hell breaks loose with the crashing sound of 'Keep An Eye On Me' which, to my lager soaked ears, has a strong Feeder-ish feel to it whilst 'End of an Era' is more Pop-Punk. However, the track 'Honestly' really annoyed me from start to finish - Don't worry lads, the tune was great but it featured a very familiar hook and I simply couldn't place where it had been 'borrowed' from!
'Charlies Dream' harked back to early 90's indie shoegazing whereas 'You Threw it All Away' had a very 'now' guitar sound to it and featured some impressive high pitched vocals. Midway through their set Flozz had to mop himself down with a towel as he was sweating buckets but that doesn't stop him powering through '45 Yards' before they slow things down with 'A + E' and the delicious 'Caught in a Moment' and then exit to a well deserved ovation from the impressed punters.

Special mention must also go to DJ Paul Craven, who treated us to some hot new releases featuring Placebo, We are Scientists and The Spinto Band, plus classic cuts from Headspeed, InMe, Skindred and a touch of drum and bass from Pendulum.