Lightspeed Champion, Semifinalists, Guildean Gang.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 2nd February 2008.

REVIEW ONE BY Martin Stapleton.

Tonight’s headliner is Lightspeed Champion, it’s a Hungry Bears gig and needless to say, another sell out. As one third of indie noise purveyors Test Icicles, it came as a bit of a surprise when Dev Hynes took the step of re-inventing himself as a nu-folk Americana singer songwriter. His debut album, ‘Falling Off The Lavendar Bridge’ was released last week to critical acclaim, and this week he is the NME cover star.

After appearing with the main support, SEMIFINALISTS, which gave an early chance of the large crowd to get a glimpse of their hero. Dev steps on to the stage as his present reincarnation, LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION and greets us with the question, “Hope you had fun tonight”. He goes on to tell su that tonight’s gig is the first time he has played the harmonica in public. The first airing it gets is on ‘Dry Lips’. He need not have had any worries. Each of his nine songs are preceded by a short intimate introduction. Although I find the set sometimes slow and rather maudlin, the crowd seem captivated by the quality of the songs on offer, plus considering the £6 ticket price, it seems hard to find fault.
The musical influences he uses are varied. ‘The Crunk Song’ is ‘boring stuff’ about hip hop. While the biggest cheer of the night is with the announcement of the single, ‘Galaxy of the Lost’, “If you know this have a dance”, Dev requests, and many take up the offer, as arms are raised upwards. Dev looks impressed.

Disappointingly, Lightspeed Champion’s overall impression of Bedford is not that great, as prior the gig he tells of being “chased from Nandos, but in a bad way”. Thankfully, it does not scar his performance, which is only the second day of the tour. “We’re still fresh!”, he tells us. But Bedford’s still a long way from his Dalston home.
So far ahead of the game is this man that we are given a taster song from his next album. It’s as yet untitled but it’s a composition seen through the eyes of a Brazilian prostitute. As we near the end of the evening, it’s a chance to reflect how Lightspeed Champion possesses an obvious endowment of ear pricking attention which invites so much quality in his material. Although as they tune up prior to ‘Midnight Surprise’ this jovial gentleman jokes, “as you can see, we are all professionals!”.
Practice did make perfect, as this mammoth outro builds to a fitting climax. The crowd demand an encore, and rightfully get one. Dev’s had such a good evening that it’s a fun song, and a favourite of his - a cover of Weezer’s 'Buddy Holly' (although this reviewer was clinging to the hope that it might have been ‘What’s Your Damage’!).
Lightspeed Champion’s set was: Salty Water, Dry Lips, Devil’s Tricks, The Crunk Song, Galaxy of the Lost, Tell Me What It’s Worth, The Prostitute Song, No Surprise, Midnight Surprise, Buddy Holly.

Opening this evening are Biggleswade’s GUILDEAN GANG whose mature performance was well received. London Road gained most applause and from start to finish they were a total joy.

REVIEW TWO BY Luke Slater.

In the week where he was plastered on the cover of NME and appeared as panellist on Nevermind The Buzzcocks, you’d be forgiven for assuming that being chased through the streets of Bedford whilst outside a popular Portuguese-themed chicken restaurant was clear evidence of Dev Hynes’ (aka Lightspeed Champion) rapid rise to stardom. However, as would have become startlingly obvious to Dev and his backing band, they weren’t after a picture with the ex-Test Icicle, or even an autograph…

Though Hynes’ fame has not quite hit the levels of being chased around town centres by screaming, adoring adolescents, his all-round appeal is clear to see with a few members of the sell-out crowd wearing deerstalkers in tribute, something which amuses Hynes when he spots them being waved in his direction from among the masses.

Hynes certainly cuts an unusual figure as he walks out onto the tiny Esquires stage, complete with a harmonica, used live for the first time, despite his fears that an association would be made with politics and protest songs.

The set opens with the melancholic yet melodic ‘Salty Water’, working as a prelude to the four-minute crescendo that is ‘Dry Lips’. By the time Hynes wails “Tell her I give up”, the crowd are bopping along. It is at this point that the harmonica is discarded from Hynes’ musical accoutrements, putting to bed any hopes or fears of Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ appearing in tonight’s setlist.