Seven Caves, Sulfer, Thumbelinas, Rewriting Destiny, Spiked.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 24th April 2009.

Level 2's doors opened promptly at 7.30pm, in anticipation of a five band line up. After a gap of eight months Hitchin's SPIKED returned to Esquires. Since their last visit they have changed from a quartet to a trio. The Wilson sisters Sian and Lauren are now joined by Bletchley's guitarist L.J Oliver. She compliments it perfectly. Originally permeating as a raw punky sound, they now seem to be resurrecting the spirit of the early 90s alternative rock. Babes in Toyland Anybody?!? The girls are quite literally full of teen spirit. The opener which is as yet untitled, sweeps in with a swirly dark atmospheric intro, before the song is spewed out to a Courtney Love-esque riff. There is a genuine brooding amongst all the grungy elements. Also of note is 'She's Sick' with it's deep raunchy baseline.

More girls are welcomed back. This time to REWRITING DESTINY, Milton Keynes teenagers who were certainly having fun doing it; so this is what adolescence is all about. The trio performed a set of bubblegum pop punk, a friend has passed comment that the bands musical direction is more Hannah Montanna, although that goes over my head slightly. 'You're the One' is good and elastic in feel. The vocal harmonies on 'Can't get Over You' compliments the song very well. The slower 'Always Been You' offers some interesting ideas in it's conception. The girls stage presence is also more confident. I also gather that a new EP is due very soon.

THUMBELINAS are, to quote Monty Python, something completely different as vocalist Cherry introduces the band to us in her own special way, they are Chloe (bass and backing vocals), Nova (guitar), Irene (guitar), and Milos (drums). They offer us on Level two some white urban blues, its quite a radical departure from the normal faire. The genre is very Janis Joplin, and Big Brother and The Holding Company. The Thumbelina's are 'small people making big music!' Exactly, except perhaps for their rather tall guitarist! They create musical vignettes, painting a vivid picture in their songs. 'Take it Out on Me' is about people who have been taken for a ride. Chloe's tale of a relationship going wrong, encapsulated in 'Maybe'. A solid gutsy blues opening really shines on 'Come With Me'. The constant refrain of 'Hey Baby' keeps everything ticking along. 'I Don't Listen' is a full on rocker about the know it all's.

SULFER - boy does this band rock. Their urban 'boho' front man, resplendent with a lot of hair held together with a most natty head band, immediately calls everyone to arms at the start of the set with a hearty patriotic shout of 'We are doing this for St George's Day!' With yesterday still fresh in everyone's memory, it's a fair call. The rallying chorus of the 'The Beast Will Get You' is shouted out loudly and most menacingly. Although the set is tried and tested and perhaps, at times the originality is missing, there is certainly no denying just how powerful this band are on a live performance. The crowd lap it up, especially on 'As The Crows Fly'.

SEVEN CAVES are a Herts / Bucks quintet, who opens most spectacularly with their current single 'I Don't Want to Know'. Vocalist John emotionally sings "Please just let me go! Or let me stay!", with a grand almost Glasvegas sounding intro, the song mutates to a full blown Kasabian like groove. It's their abbreviation of pop culture that make the first half of this band's set so exciting. '44' even sees John filling in as a auxiliary drummer although, I couldn't really fathom out why. This is repeated at regular stages later on. 'Fly' is a sensitive song written about the vocalist's 'Wee Daughter', the second half of Seven Caves set rather ran out of steam. The neo-punk funk stance is so enhanced by their slightly cynical charm of the front man, who I certainly warmed to.