The Bedford Athletic Rugby Club Wentworth drive, Putnoe Bedford. Friday 13th October 2006.
Green Calibre, Scope, Studio Tokyo, Track Zero.
Heat 6
From Olney and ranging from 19-24 GREEN CALIBRE with influences from Artic Monkeys, Muse, Matchbox 20 and Metalica are not so much a performing band, but mainly just good listenable tunes, with a slight country n western twang. They have a female drummer who put in a great beat keeping performance adding a strong backbone to their classy indy sound. With a tendency for their songs to sound slightly the same all way through but pinned down with some strong vocals also, sounding quite professional - especially on the shared vocal parts which worked well for this band.
A free C.D. was available but do the band know that they were blank?
SCOPE - Well there was no one sitting down for this band, they had an awesome crowd response. From influences (Nickleback, Hendrix, Extreme, Maiden, Steve Vai, Metalica) you knew you would get something sounding more heavy and bloody tight with it.
With movement and on stage jumps, they just seem to have a certain something. They have a charismatic front man, who conversed with the crowd and has an excellent singing voice and range, which were demonstrated with their rock/grunge/individual melodic and rock-out songs and their 'lil' drummer putting so much sweat in to it, necessitating a few top changes during the gig. Just when you think they couldn't get any heavier they go and do a Pantera cover - 'Cowboys from Hell'.
Anyone remembering the much missed Alterica on the local scene would be interested to know that Scope are the band who could easily fill their slot and could soon become one of my favourite bands to look out for.
All 16 and influences from Radiohead, Kasabian, Muse etc. STUDIO TOKYO , a band I have never come across before, forming around mid 2005 and played on the '3 days of rock' gig at the M.K. Pitz club. You could describe them as an experiment in sound, with plenty of flange effects and experimental type sounds from the keyboards, I thought some places had a slight Enter Shikari (ish) local band sound. Almost like a rave (about to happen). I found this band however a bit too placid, but I particularly liked some of the intricate finger work on the guitar, along with the cool keyboardist forming a sound much admired by the shape throwing crowd.
Now self managed and probably better off for it TRACK ZERO have good material, musicianship and entertainment, their singer uses the mic stand to perform with - lifting it in to the air while on stage. Back for a second BOTB gig they have an amazing keyboardists but no floppy hair this time. These guys started at school in 04 together with far ranging influences and have amassed some good material, which is all performed well. They work hard to get the crowd going, enticing a crowd wall of death and their front man sometimes off stage and in with the crowd, with 3 vocalists that do other stuff besides sing.guitars, keyboards and just pure entertain with either slow vocal melodies and some songs that totally rock-out, but always that classic overall sound and performance and never more better than when they have a good crowd to bay to.
Keith www.bedfordmetal.co.uk