Sweet Tin Hoax, The October Game, Don Palmacci.

Esquires Bedford Lev 2 9th September 2006.

This Hairgel evening opens with a acoustic performance from Mr DON PALMACCI. With his working band Red Dollar performing on a regular basis, this was a rare opportunity to see this talented and erudite performer playing a mixture of old favourites and a couple of stripped down band compositions.
He opens with 'Bitterly Sentimental' (taken from his 'As Luck Would Have It' solo album of 2004) which is performed with a confident and consummate ease. His version of the Red Dollar single 'FYI' shows him as a natural, totally thriving, with or without a band, the chorus is certainly spat out just a venomously. He brings proceedings to a close with the rallying call of 'Start the Revolution', which he admits is the ethos of him and the band, tonight it is inspiring and played with true feeling.

For three years at the start of this decade, 4 East-Beds lads called Insomnia were more than regular visitors to Level II, both supporting and headlining at many a gig, as well as producing a fine EP entitled 'Iris'. When Bedford Metal legend Keith Pickering informed me that they were now performing under a new guise I was intrigued to see what direction the lads had moved in. Insomnia were a heavy and austere outfit. However, their reincarnation as THE OCTOBER GAME is with a much lighter indie sound - very much Kasabian meets Muse meets Keane. Apart from the penultimate song 'Harvesting Waves', which I felt was a touch overblown, the set was encouraging and very entertaining. The songs had variety and substances, especially the finale of 'Bell, Why so Blue?', which had the sound of The Smiths marked all over it. I was so hooked on it I was almost expecting to see some Gladiolas protruding from the singer's back pocket at the end of it.
The October Game have just started a mini-tour which in the next few weeks will see them appear at venues in Wolverhampton, Ipswich and Northampton amongst others.

Making a most welcome return are SWEET TIN HOAX, although if the announcement that the boys made at the end of their set is true then this was the end of their two year adventure. A shame because once again they were so entertaining. The peak of the performance is still the chirpy 'I'll get over you', a song that lifts your spirits and lodges into the subconscious. With influences ranging from The Beatles, Oasis and Primal Scream, the lads left us to the strains of 'Can't Let You Go' before they acquiesce to calls for a welcome encore.