BURIAL CLUB
with Adiescar and The Awkward.

Bedford Esquires Lev 2 Saturday 27th April 2013.

Tonight Esquires bids a warm welcome back to a couple of familiar faces from it's recent past. Brothers David and Lee Sells first appeared here in Danny's bar, way back in April 2006 as part of The Newtones. They soon changed the band name to Look See Proof and went on to support high profile bands such as The Fratellis, Foals and The Twang amongst others. They also played Glastonbury and famously appeared on Lily Allen's TV show. Their last Esquires gig was in November 2008 and the band eventually split up the following July. Tonight the Sells boys return with their new band called BURIAL CLUB . Amongst this quartet's ranks is also Mike Dickens who drummed with the East Beds band Little Thief a few years ago.
The feel and sound is still very much from the mid noughties when everybody wanted to be a 'Futurehead'. Burial Club's philosophy is so simple. Choppy riffs still rule OK? A warm cheery greeting awaits us; "Hello everybody, how's everyone?". Sadly the room is not very well populated, sparse in fact. It does seem that most people have travelled a good few miles to be here. Naturally, the atmosphere is sorely missing. Although the lads are older, those famous tight trousers that the ladies remember so fondly make a reappearance for one night only. Catchy songs permeate the set. Where once LSP filled their three minutes with an incessant barrage of two chord ping pong with plenty of "wo wo whoa wo wo's", they now bind everything with richer and darker overtones in a frothy, poppy sort of way. They are skilfully adept at knitting together a catchy chorus that draws on the traditional, and totally English, sense of melody. A fine attribute and a considerable asset to achieve.
The Sells siblings bubble with natural verve and enthusiasm as they rightly revel in the resurrection on this, one of their old stamping grounds. Very generously, Burial Club give away free T-shirts along with their current download single "Airwaves". It goes down well and there is much dancing round handbags! Jerky dynamics are such an integral part of Burial Club's stage presence and the younger Sells reminds us all of his particular musical/party trick by making an impulsive jump up and onto the drumkit. Ah! Some things never ever change!

Opening, and also making their Esquires debut, are THE AWKWARD . This Hitchin quartet mix and match a lot of their material. The first phase does seem to embrace all things classic rock, culminating in "Die A Little". The band make an honest appraisal and duly describe it as their "heaviest song at the moment". Weak vocals hinder and partially mar some of the set. This game young man also puts his wiry frame into imminent danger as at one point he stands mightily aloft on an amp. Fella! Mind your head. It's a very low ceiling. A couple of covers are, dare I say, less than inspiring, especially a limp and impotent version of "My Generation".

Thankfully the oh so versatile ADIESCAR is on hand to infuse some exquisite songwriting skills for our delectation. Once again, Adiescar (or Emily as she is more commonly known) is joined by Tom, fellow band member of Near Moments. This is a treat from beginning to end. Adiescar stands tall on the stage, momentoes from festivals past adorn her slender wrists. With her long blonde hair and beaming smile to match, she is the belle of the evening. Her set, which starts with the awesome "Rivergirl", is handled with the aplomb that we have all grown so accustomed to these past few months. Ultra confident and, may I say, incredibly self-assured. Her material shows so much creative nous. Adiescar draws inspiration from such unlikely sources. She is always ready to inform you. Did you know "Dancing In The Rain" is "inspired by watching zombies and warm bodies"? An eminent technician, she humbly apologises for "a drop" at the fall of "Daydreamer" and prior to "Naiveity". The finger skills of Adiescar are so much to be admired. Joyous tunes mingle with wistful compositions. She is utterly fearless in her vocal range, all allied to such smouldering charisma. This sassy songstress is the cream of the crop this evening without a shadow of a doubt.