Sonic Boom Six, Pickled Dick, New Groove Formation, Club Sex (Featuring 2Planets), Weightloss.

Bedford Esquires Lev 2. 21st April 2007.

Ska, punk and reggae fans across the county must be beside themselves tonight, as once again On For The Underground offers up a mammoth night of alternative music, culminating with rapidly up-and-coming “genre terrorists”, Sonic Boom Six.

Opening the night are WEIGHTLOSS, giving the audience a strong indication of what they are to expect from the rest of the night: frenzied, hard-hitting punk and rap, bursting with ska beats and various brass interludes, with melodies that are more catching than the common cold and a darker, more intense punk strain glowering vehemently underneath, yet not without a healthy dose of silliness to get the crowd going.

Despite a distinct lack of brass instruments, CLUB SEX fit into tonight’s line-up well due to their own brand of “genre terrorism”, as they mix screamo vocals with metal guitars and big powerful melodies, not to mention a killer combination of smashing drums and occasional moments of frenzied, almost rapped lyrics and electric interludes on this their second night on the same bill as Sonic Boom Six. Front man Rob Damiani can’t stay still for a moment it seems, as he hops, bops and boogies his way around the stage for the entirety of the set. The introduction of 2Planets slows the pace down slightly, but these bands look as if they’re having a great time together. The Esquires audience are obviously enjoying themselves too, as already the club is heaving. It’s clear that Club Sex are another one of those local bands who are doing something very different to the crowd, and executing it to perfection.

As NEW GROOVE FORMATION take to the stage the crowd is showing no signs of thinning out, and people are packed in like sardines as far back as the sound desk. The seven-piece start with a funky blues groove, reggae beats from the guitars, hot trumpets and a rapping MC to create a huge sound and a great chilled-out atmosphere. Low and behold, there’s even a didgeridoo growling darkly in the background alongside energetic bass and ska rhythms; when the pace picks up the whole room is visibly bouncing along with them. The slow mix of reggae warping into frantic bongos and ska-rap mayhem becomes quite a standard format for each song, but this doesn’t seem to bother anyone, as the band finish their performance to furious clapping and howling for more.

In some respects, PICKLED DICK fall a little flat after the big sounds from Club Sex and New Groove Formation, yet the band certainly give it their all. Overall, the band play their heart out for thirty minutes, delivering perfect slices of pop punk that the likes of New Found glory and Blink 182 would be proud of, and certainly ensures there’s a little something for everyone on tonight’s punk-influenced bill.

When Manchester-based headliners SONIC BOOM SIX finally take to the stage, in spite of the long evening that’s already passed, they manage to inject a new lease of life into the audience with their high-energy set. Don’t let the petite stature of front woman Laila fool you, as she bounces around the stage like a thing possessed and along with bass player and vocalist Barney manages to get the whole crowd jumping. With the entire room buzzing, it’s clear to see just why this band appeal to such a broad range of people, and why they’re continuing to see such an increase different types of music fans turning up at their gigs; pop, punk, ska, rap and hip-hop all seem to creep in somewhere amidst their set, no to mention a good deal of fun and clear enjoyment of what’s going on on-stage. Sonic Boom Six certainly don’t disappoint tonight, and more than live up to their promise of “genre terrorism”.