Nine Black Alps, The Red Star Rebels, We Start Fires.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 13th August 2005.

At Esquires over the past few weeks we have been treated to some superb evenings but tonight had to be the best! Manchester has always had a tradition of producing fine groups and now, with NINE BLACK ALPS (who take their name from a Sylvia Plath poem) the city appears to be at the centre of the rebirth of Grunge!
I’m normally sceptical when so called ‘hotly-tipped’ bands arrive in town, but tonight I was most definitely won over. For a third consecutive week a sell-out crowd was treated to a band that have already attracted a huge amount of attention in the music press and will undoubtedly soon become massive.
Nine Black Alps current blockbusting single ‘Unsatisfied’ got the crowd rocking, as did the rest of a brilliant set. In fact, the audience should be proud that they witnessed this amazing band. The second Nirvana? No, the first Nine Black Alps!

The first support band were THE RED STAR REBELS, an eighties influenced rock band that have already played with Velvet Revolver, Jet and The Libertines. Hailing from Dunstable, Blackie and the boys powered their way through a strong set that was well appreciated. According to the lads, their next visit to Bedford is a gig at the Prison! I can’t wait!!

Sandwiched nicely between these two groups were Darlington’s finest WE START FIRES, whose Elastica meets The Slits pop-punk tunes were a delight. They look good, they sound good and with current single ‘Strut’ riding high in the Indie Charts they could be on the cusp of major success.