Spit Like This, Showgirl Suicide, Speedshot, Graveline.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 8th May 2009.

Little Red Roster, who is normally instrumental in bringing us good quality indie, branched out for an all out assault of anthemic guitar-driven sounds, although (I felt) with partial success gained.

The start is promising with GRAVELINE, who imposed their punk'n'roll almost immediately. Bombastic duelling guitar hooks and a rough hewn vocal rage are to the fore on "Clueless" and the average Friday night High St mantra of "Let's Fight". As with most of the bands on display tonight, it's all very loud and 'in yer face'. The newish "Business Upfront and Party Behind" incorporates some sharp knife edged hooks all delivered with some thinly veiled menace. Throughout it's been urgent and effective with some good street smart anthems.

SPEEDSHOT are the only Bedford band on display and are the more 'mellow' offering on this posing aggressive machismo night. That said however, they can still employ their scattershot nail-gunning garage riffage. The opening "Full Throttle" does indicate what this young trio are driving at. A rather small turnout does rather knock back the efforts of Danny to get a singalong crowd reaction on "Moonshine Mama". I enjoyed "Wishful Drinking", and top drumming was to be admired from Michele on "Karma-kazi Town". A cover of "TNT" was well replicated and "Snakebite" hits with maximum impact.

SHOWGIRL SUICIDE gave us some metal-punk which I felt had little substance. The material was very patchy. The set is best summed up on "Kick Back". The vocalist boldly announces that this song is dedicated to the one and only Jack Daniels. However, with none of the said bourbon around, he takes a large gulp of lager and proceeds to spray it across the sparse front row of people. Thankfully the end comes shortly afterwards.

So to SPIT LIKE THIS who are an overtly 'horror-glam- pink quartet. At their start, the vocalist firstly looks out across the room and resoundingly shouts out that "We can have a good time". As "Seen but not Heard" is performed, I beg to disagree with his bold initial statement. There is excellent stage presentation. Smokey effects, extra lights, leather outfits and plenty of mascara and make-up. Sadly the songs all fail to send forest fires raging through this reviewers veins! In fact, the only memory I will take of this band is their excellent array of tattoos plastered all over themselves. The front man does have a certain swagger, but I feel throughout his tiresome ramblings to us that it's all a bit condescending. The Rocky Horror Show gets in on the act with "Sweet Transvestite". Spit Like This tell us that on a previous gig that they had a real one amongst the audience. Clearly exasperated by their show tonight, the vocalist bizarrely asks the crowd to make jazzy guttural noises on a sing back. He also rather sneeringly asks us "How many Bon Jovi covers do you want us to play?" when the crowd reaction is a bit slack. "Heart Thief" is quite bouncy with a riff which is reminiscent of Bowie's "Jean Genie". An encore does occur as they finish with "(Won't you be my) Rebel Lover". "We're winning" the hirsute frontman trumphantly yells. Me? I'm afraid it's all I can do is stifle the yawns!