Thirst Club Esquires Bedford. Saturday 12th March 2005.
Review by Rory Mckenna (mAccA).
Blind Theory This was Blind Theory's first Esquires gig and I have to say that they impressed me. The last time I heard them play was when they did a small 3 song set supporting my band (Doubting Thomas) in January at the Grafton pub. Back then their new guitarist had only been with the band a short time, and since then I think it is fair to say that they have improved immeasurably. Whilst it was evident that this was their first real gig, they were still confident on stage. A few minor mistakes went mostly un-noticed by a crowd who was busy moshing their way through nearly all of their songs. Perhaps their choice of Box Car Racer?s 'Letters to God' as their second song wasn't the best idea as it slowed down the frantic pace set by their opener 'Tears for You', but they still played it well.
In future it would be nice to see a bit more movement from them on stage, and I?m sure this will be the case - I think they were probably just concentrating on playing everything right as it was their first gig.
They finished their set with an excellent cover of the Blink 182 classic 'Dammit' which was well received by the crowd. An encouraging start from this young band, and it's always nice to see another punk band on the local scene!
Make sure you check these guys out when they return to Esquires in April.
Summerfall Before tonight I had heard a lot of good things about this band and was keen to see if they lived up to the hype...I?m pleased to report that they exceeded the hype! As soon as their recorded instrumental started, it was obvious that this band are a little bit special and when they came on stage they absolutely ripped it up!
The moshpit during almost the whole gig was one of the most active and violent I have ever seen at Esquires. It was clear that they are a very popular band, and deservedly so. The band oozed confidence and knew how to work the crowd. One of this band's major strong points is their vocals, to which they have 4 people contributing, including the drummer and the harmonies fit together really well. Their singer really impressed me with his vocal range, at one point screaming the next singing softly to combine perfectly with the contrasting parts of their music. I really have no major problems with this band and wish them all the best in the future, which I'm sure will be bright. Each member is extremely competent with their instrument, they have the confidence to look like a 'real' band and seem to draw upon a wide range of influences to make up their contrasting songs. Deserved winners - well done guys!
Phonic Rapture Another band making their debut at Bedford's 'Premier music venue'. It was clear this band had been around for a while and they seemed to stroll through their set, knowing exactly what to do. The first thing that comes to your mind when you see these guys is the link to bands like Guns and Roses, predominantly from the way they dress ? bandanas, waistcoats over bare chests etc. An image like this can be hard to live up to because unless you are awesome then people will not take you seriously. I thought that they managed to pull it off with very competent songs, but it just seemed to me that they lacked that special something to earn them the victory. Still, a very enjoyable band and I look forward to seeing them in Bedford in the near future.
Well done to all the bands for contributing to a great night of alternative music!
Review by Rory Mckenna (mAccA) ? doubtingthomas69@hotmail.com
www.bedfordmetal.tk
REVIEW 2.
Battle of the Bands - Esquires, 12th March 2005.
Reviewed by Rick Skilbeck. www.bedfordesquires.co.uk.
The crowd on Saturday night underlined the enduring popularity of the Battle of the Bands Competition, with a huge mass of pop kids all queuing patiently outside Esquires when I turned up. After getting over the shock of being probably the third oldest person at the gig, the other judges and I spent the early part of the night trying to figure out the fiendish mathematics of Battle of the Bands marking system.
First band of the night were BLIND THEORY, 4 fresh faced youngsters from the 'Blink 182' school of rock. Their set was a mixture of their own compositions and a couple of covers of songs by 'Box Car Racer' and 'Doubting Thomas', and it was well received by the moshing throng down the front of the stage. However, I frequently had to wince as the lead singer struggled to stay in tune. Perhaps this was down to nerves or problems with his sound, but it was somewhat of a relief when the bass player took over vocal duties for one number.
Sporting the best band name of the night, and certainly the best haircuts, were 'SUMMERFALL'. The guitarist had a fringe not seen since the days of Phil Oakey, whereas the lead singer's hair can only be described as something that the members of A Flock of Seagulls would have dismissed as too extreme. As they entered the stage to the muted techno sounds of their own intro tape, I was half expecting them burst into a cover of 'Fade to Grey'. Therefore, it was a surprise when they proceeded to play a set of fairly heavy goth-metal. Pete, who knows more about this genre than I would ever want to, tells me there are reminiscent of current flavour of the month, 'My Chemical Romance'. They certainly received the best crowd reaction of the night, although they lost points with some of the judges for using the gig as a shameless opportunity to plug their forthcoming gig at the Cambridge Junction and their newly recorded E.P.
As we waited for PHONIC RAPTURE to take the stage, I hoped that the various people setting up the equipment were roadies fresh from an Iron Maiden tour, and my heart sank when it turns out they were there, the band. Two members were wearing bandanas, at least one appeared to have a moustache (since when has the bassist from The Darkness been a fashion icon?), and all members looked more like slightly grubby motorbike mechanics than promising rock stars. Therefore, there was lots of consternation amongst the judges when they delivered an excellent and enjoyable set. The lead guitarist both gurned and played like a young Angus Young while the lead singer produced a passable imitation of Robert Plant. The crowd didn't really know what to make of them, while the judges argued amongst themselves about the marking system and were heard to utter phrases like 'It should be about the music, man'!
However, after the judges' marks were checked and doubled checked, Summerfall were pronounced as the winners on the night, their potential and the reaction of the crowd having just edged it from Phonic Rapture. They now go onto the semi-finals, to be held in April.