Joanovarc, Harmonic Fields, Jub, The Simpletone.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 7th May 2010.

Tonight was a gig that brought us a variety of different bands from the fringes of the Esquires catchment zone. The major highlight is the most welcome reappearance of Herts based all female band JOANOVARC (hands up those of you who remember the unforgettable support slot at the SWMTF gig of 2006). Since I last saw them they have expanded from a trio into a meaty five piece. As well as an extra guitarist, they now include a manically insane percussionist who really should be issued with a government health warning! I think they called her Violet The Cannibal! As well as swapping drum duties with Debbie, she runs riot by dementedly and violently running around, hitting her tambourine against anything and everything!

The additions have certainly upped Joanovarc's stage presentation game. With the Walker sisters Sam and Shelley still at the helm, it's an energising and bristling journey. With an L7 template and a general all round nod to American alternative rock, they sure cast out more frantic hooks than a hyperactive angler! As diva Sam sings out loudly "We are ready to roll", scattershot beats mix with some downright nasty riffs, thrusting and bursting with such a bohemian idiosyncrasy. The set is wrapped around three perfectly formed minutes of sunburst guitars. Joanovarc are probably at their best when they decide to go gloriously scuzzy and tweak up some grizzly Detroit-esque distortion. As way of an encore, the ladies bring us a couple of covers with "Freebird" and a tribute to Hendrix. "Foxy lady" + Joanovarc = Wayne's World?!! You will have to work that one out for yourselves!

Of our support tonight, I was probably most impressed by a young five piece band from Stevenage, called HARMONIC FIELDS. They are fronted by Hannah Estrada and Esquires regulars may recall an acoustic set here, nearly a year ago. She performs with such a sassy swagger. There's a slight Shirley Manson demeanour, displaying a vampish pout and purr. Her voice soars and soothes, spiky as it is seductive. Her male colleagues offer a taut and beefy sound. Predominantly indie-rock, ska raises it's head around "Screaming, shouting and singing". "Comedown" is a dancey one, about pills apparently, while "Slut" is a lyrical piece that tells of the less than wholesome girls on the modern housing estate.

JUB finally made it here after their previous unfortunate cancellation. This offbeat and quirky trio have their own programmed intro as they break into "We are Super Mario"! "Ricochet" and "Somebody please turn off the lights" lead me to think, sadly, that they are 'Scouting For Jub'!

St Neots four piece THE SIMPLETONE are new to me, but do offer a face from 'Portion's past'! A mix of sounds that eventually leads to their free-spirited front man to, firstly, strap on his acoustic guitar for "Dreams of Yesterday", and then rather inappropriately spray the sparse front row of the paying public with his bottle of beer! Perhaps not the best way to win friends and influence people?