Saving Aimee, Don Broco, None the Less, Side of the Sky, Showing Tonight.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 21st November 2008.

Considering it's their first ever gig at Esquires, promoters D.T.A. must have been very impressed with their opening fayre. When the doors actually opened on time at 7 o'clock, there is already a sizeable gathering assembled. Young in age, teen spirit rules this evening. When the action gets underway it is noticeable that there is an urgent movement to the front to get the best possible view. As an older onlooker, I have to reluctantly admit that, for me, it could be a rather long evening!

The opening band are SHOWING TONIGHT. They perform with their new bass player David. ‘Battlefields’ is an early chance for the crowd to engage in a Friday night party. As with the rest on offer, it's emo punk. The band admit that ‘Dreams of’ has never seen a live performance. It has a slow build-up to finish on a more stratospheric level. With ‘Load’ there is a fair degree of screaming. The boys hand over ‘Yellow’ to the crowd. A good deal of cheering and applause at Showing Tonight's finale shows what the punters thought.

After making their Esquires debut at this years Cravenfest, local lads SIDE OF THE SKY confidently return. Consisting of Reuben Priddy (guitar, vocals), Piers Black-Hawkins (guitar, vocals), John Catlin (bass, vocals) and Oli Hall (drums), an original ‘Intro’ makes for an interesting start and works well. There is, I feel, already a definite step up in class from the last band. I especially liked ‘Headlights’ which they perform impeccably. It starts slowly, but the kids latch on to it immediately. The last song ‘Lies That Cover’ begins to the faint familiar strains of, I kid you not, a Mike Oldfield song! The lyrics are stuck in the head "I dream of you, you dream of me". The song of the evening? Perhaps, but I hate Mike Oldfield!

None The Less are from Watford and suffer from the Friday night traffic as they arrive late and miss a pre-gig sound check. The tempo is very much in keeping with the bulk of the nights show. Of the set, the faster and slightly older ‘Full Force’ edges out ‘Just This Once’ as my favourite.

DON BROCO? The band name is, I'm afraid, lost on me. Could it be a mafia hit man? All I know is that it is in fact the third reincarnation of Bedford's former emo sons of the past Summerfall. Even though the roots of the band are some six years old, the sum of the parts are still the same. A huge following cheer them all the way home, but for me, it's all a bit overblown and tedious. The generation gap rules OK!

SAVING AIMEE are at Esquires, headlining just a few short months after supporting the Shikari boys at London's Astoria. The six piece are here for a "shimmy shake of a dance". However, unfortunately, most of the local youngsters are long gone. Having overdosed on Don Broco, it must be kebab time! Saving Aimee battle on gamely and are at all times enthusiastic and on a different level to everything that has gone before. The pop punk tune that is ‘High Fives All Round’ is the most enjoyable part of this, at times, tedious gig.