Team Waterpolo, Defend Moscow, Shapes, Guildean Gang.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 2nd October 2008.

Tonight, Preston quartet TEAM WATERPOLO return to Esquires. Their last visit was back in January when they supported Joe Lean and the etc etc. However its a headline slot now and Bedford is the first date on their extensive nationwide October tour of Great Britain. They are excited. Their entrance on stage is fairly dramatic as, to darkness, a mighty wailing of an air-raid siren pierces the room! Formed just over a year ago, a support slot to CSS is already on their CV. They admit that they have not performed for at least a month, which for them is a long time. They are now ready.

Team Waterpolo principally ply a raw garage guitar sound and mould it together with an electronic synthesized sound. It's similar to what Enter Shikari did with metal a couple of years ago. Although the venue is sparsely populated, those who have swapped their comfy armchairs for a rather cold level 2 are, I think, richly rewarded for their efforts. New song 'Dance in the ring' is followed by the more familiar 'Back to square one'. Its coarse amd overtly robotic sound impresses. The captivating 'Problematic girls' contains the taut chorus of "Hey, stop that foolin' around!". 'It's our life' is, in the bands' words, virtually a self-explanatory potted history of what has happened to them in the past year. 'Do ya wanna?' gets all and sundry jumping and moving, if only to keep warm methinks!

Team Waterpolo's forthcoming single (it's released on 27th October) is the deeply ironically titled 'So Called Summer'. After what we got this year, I'm sure everyone will agree with the lyric 'When will my summer ever come?'. After this song closes, a storm seems to brew and the finale of 'I Think This Band is Shit!' strikes up. It's a guitar mosher of epic proportions and a terrific end to a good set.

Providing the majority of support for Team Waterpolo's tour are DEFEND MOSCOW. It's not too outlandish to suggest that they are the 'musical marriage' of The Ting-Tings and The Scissor Sisters! A quintet whose solid drum and guitar sound is fronted by an extrovert male/female vocal duo whose chemistry works perfectly. The sound they produce is not to my individual taste but they perform well. Funky and forthcoming single 'Dance away' matches their very classy attire.

Regular visitors SHAPES open to their solid set of songs. This time joined by a huge monster cardboard cut out whose presence on stage provides amusement! Cheeky and chirpy youngsters THE GUILDEAN GANG also appear. 'Jack', a song about a boy who has lost his way in life, impresses.