Novacaine, Sovrin, Solemn.

Lev 1 Esquires Bedford. 07 September 2007.

Friday evening, and with the obvious lure of Portion appearing upstairs with the reformed Nubiles, I have decided to get back to the musical grassroots of the bar and re-acquaint myself with Luton's NOVACAINE, who impressed me so much early last year.
With a new manager on board, this melodic rock band are at the start of a two week touring schedule with recording work to follow in November. Since their last visit this quartet have been busy songwriting. They may be new to us, but the structures are still intense and which is so ably demonstrated on the opening 'Starlight' to which a musical blaze of glory erupts into an almost post-hardcore energiser, phew! There is going to be no compromise on the effort and the power. Old favourite 'Here I Am' receives a welcome airing, although unfortunately a slight technical problem intervenes. Normal service resumes with '7 years' which explodes with savage riffery. Novacaine's new song is the appropriately named 'Are You Still Breathing?' With the force that this band attains its a difficult ask. 'Boys/Girls Must Win' is a brief chance for them to turn slightly 'poppy', but not for long as the concise rock eulogy 'Charlie Indestructible' ends this imposing and invigorating set.

Making their bar debuts are firstly SOLEMN PROMISE who hail from Leighton Buzzard. With obvious comparisons to FFAF, this five piece are led by vocalist Jay whose facial features throughout the set veer from looking like an angelic choirboy to the sudden metamorphosis into a fang-baring vampire. Big hair dominates the rest of the band. The track 'Captivated' is a relatively happy one, while the physical nature of 'Jump' is perhaps a little limited in the tight confines of the bar, but it does contain the almost football crowd chant of "Jump! Jump!" 'Agnostic theory' is the band's favourite and is ably demonstrated.

Following are Bletchley's SOVRIN which stands for Sound Of Voices Repressed In Narcotics! Formed in January 2006, they comprise Simon Harrup (lead vocals, guitar), Simon Barker (bass, vocals) and Michael Fenton (drums, vocals). This art-rock band impress me enormously. Mr Harrup is very much the catalyst, tall and lean and sublimely cool, he nonchalantly wears a thick jacket on this warm evening. 'You Got Me Feeling" contains a certain swagger of nihilism, while 'Say Something" proceeds at a dangerous head-nodding pace. It's good-time basic raw rock'n'roll that contains an abundance of guitar driven tunes and allied to various doses of psychedelia which are liberally dotted throughout. At present Sovrin are in talks with an indie label, I for one hope they get snapped up!