Akiva, Tilt, Dead Girl on Pavement.
At The Park. Luton. Sunday 29th May 2005.
Reviewer: By The Metatron.

Recently The Park changed it's live format from weekly to monthly events and the change has been for the better.
Better promotion, organisation and now PA have meant that the bands performing are seeing bigger crowds in front of them. A win / win situation for everyone.
Tonight we have three very different bands.

First up at Dead Girl on Pavement, an odd name for a very odd band.
Consisting of a female lead singer, two guitarists, but no bass or drums. The rhythm section seems to be produced from backing tapes or samplers.
The backing tapes do seem "muddied" for the first few songs but become more distinct as the performance goes on. The lead singer is clear enough, but does not inspire, while the two guitarists seem so intent on what they are playing, they ignore the audience. In short, there is no show.
However their sound is interesting. Reminiscent of the early 80's Goth scene (think Siouxie and the Banshees, Jesus and the Mary Chain and early Cure), D.G.O.P. would go down a storm in a dark, smoky, dungeon of a Goth club where the spirit of The Sisters of Mercy still lives on.
Unfortunately, as clever as the idea is, D.G.O.P.'s music does not transpose well to the light, open space of The Park, to an audience who mostly just don't get it.

Second up is Tilt.
A standard looking four piece, lead vocals/guitarist, guitarist, bass and somewhere behind the amps a drummer.
As they launch into their first number and their second and their third, I think I've found an Oasis cover band.
No, I am assured buy a passing fan, this is their own material !
Don't get me wrong here, these boys can play. They are well rehearsed, tight, with well-structured songs, but it all sounds like Oasis, right down to the whining Gallagher'esque vocals.
Three quarters of the way through Tilt announce that they will now play 2 covers, so we get The Verve sounding like Oasis and Pink Floyd sounding like well you get the point. At least with Comfortably Numb we get our first guitar solo worthy of the name.
Tilt work hard enough, although the bass player seems to enjoy looking at his amp rather than the crowd. So if you can't afford to see Liam and the boys, Tilt are an acceptable alternative.

Finally the BIG act of the night Akiva.
Last time I saw Akiva, they didn't impress me. Tonight is very very different.
Clever use of a backing track introduces the first song, it's punchy, strong and upbeat.
All of the band seems to enjoy being in front of a crowd and the practice gained from the extensive tour they are undergoing pays off. Both bass and guitar player grin and sing along while the front man punches the air in a classic Roger Daltrey style.
The whole set is varied, catchy, entertaining with the front man switching to guitar and then keyboards. All of the band can obviously play and enjoy doing it, but it is the whole rather than the individual that really shines through.
Akiva are superior, slick, well produced Indie Rock, touring with their latest CD and riding high in the Pulse Unsigned charts for a second month.
Buy the CD, vote and catch them live, but most of all enjoy their music and performances.

http://www.deadgirlonpavement.com
http://www.hush.org.uk

The Metatron. wwwbedfordmetal.co.uk