Rumor.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 15th January 2010.

Tonight in Danny's Bar, we witness the Esquires debut of The RUMOR (yes, it is spelt like that - Website Ed). A quartet in their early to mid twenties, they comprise Lawrence Brady (vocals, lead guitar), Ally Mitchell (rhythm guitar), Ben Macmillan (bass) and Robbie Mottershead (drums). Hailing from the Ampthill and Aspley Guise area, they were formed a mere three months ago, with tonight being only their second ever gig. Playing a hefty ninety minute set could, in the circumstances, have proved somewhat daunting. However, the lads were considerably helped in confidence by a tremendous travelling support. They seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely even though the refurbishments at present being carried out here, made 'spending a penny' a somewhat tricky and hazardous mission for both men and women!!

With the songwriting duties taken up by Lawrence and Ally, their own material is plentiful. The covers that naturally pad out the set are kept to a minimum. They are varied, and "Seagull" sees Lawrence performing solo. The first chunk of The Rumor's playlist is of a heavy blues rock orientation. Noticeably though, the singer's faint Dylanesque twang does give a slight country edge, especially on "Music is Alive". "Take a Bite" rips at the heart and is further enhanced by the vocal bawl of "Yeah, it's going to be alright". This rousing start, for me, rather stalls as both "Shout" (which doesn't!) and "3 Towns Away" are slower in pace and, at times, slightly ponderous. Thankfully, it's only a minor blip and after a brief lull in proceedings, normal service is resumed. Wedged between a couple of covers (which do include a fair stab at The Verve's "Lucky man") is a song called "Coming Down" and yes, as The Rumour reveal, it is about "illegal substances". Also of note is "Miss Wild", including the pertinent lyrical question of "Where are you going?".

It's hard to pick out a favourite song from their set, but the band are in no doubt as to which is theirs. They reveal it has to be "Rumor Has It", a pure slice of old fashioned blues rock. With accomplished guitar work throughout, "Dreaming" has the quartet flamboyantly showing off these skills to their peak. The applause after their final offering is loud, considering the relative inexperience of the band. They offered good songs and proficient performing. Above all, their attitude was good, with no mindless and boring chatter between songs. Hopefully they can play plenty more gigs and return to Esquires in the near future.