Second Smile, The D.A.T.S. Squad, Broken Daylight, Good Cop Bad Cop.

Esquires Bedford Lev 2. 1st December 2005.

Regan and Carter, Bodie and Doyle, Dempsey and Makepeace. No, I've not lost the plot completely - they are all examples of GOOD COP / BAD COP. Ok, I accept that this is a poor introduction to tonight's first band, but on their first visit to Esquires, Good Cop / Bad Cop were an absolute joy to watch and listen to. Featuring Steve Ward (vocals/guitar), Nick Illiffe (drums) and Jolly (bass) they hail from Northampton an have a sound akin to Dinosaur Jr, Bob Mould and Spaceman 3 playing together. They are touring on the back of their recently released debut album entitled 'Liberal Hearts Bleeding' but curiously they only perform one track from it, the turbo charged 'Throw It Away' - a blisteringly great song with it's catchy chorus of 'Throw It Away, Like You Always Do'. Equally impressive is the vibrating stonercore of 'Half Made of Stone'. Good Cop Bad Cop, you're nicked! (As The Sweeney might say!).

BROKEN DAYLIGHT are closed stablemates with current Esquires favourites The Return. This Swindon four piece have been together for two years and it is no exaggeration to state that this band are very, very, heavily influenced by The Foo Fighters. Midway through their set I half expected Dave Grohl to walk out on stage!

All the way from Flitwick came THE D.A.T.S. SQUAD. Don't ask about the name - all I can reveal is that it is a spin from guitarist / vocalist Richard. The boys are playing their first ever gig tonight and I can sense that, apart from their drummer (who is none other than local music legend Neil 'El Barbs' Barber), they are a touch nervous and tense. It is only in their final song 'The One With The Weird Tuning' that they finally gain confidence and relax and their sound comes together.

Ahh Bournemouth! A lovely Summer holiday resort on the South Coast, but now that we are in the throes of Winter it's inhabitants appear to be on the move and their latest up and coming band 'SECOND SMILE' are on a mini tour -tonight Bedford, tomorrow Lincoln! Their taut and tight set had many highlights - their opening song 'Our Great and Secret Show' set a real marker for Second Smile but Ross Smithwick's emotion shredding vocals meant every song carried a real impact.