Credit To The Nation, New Groove Formation, Jay from Inner Terrestrials.

Esquires Bedford Lev 2 Saturday 8th February 2014.

2014! Well we are now firmly into February and, incredibly, this is only the second gig on the main stage. The venue appears to be about half full for the occasion. The show gets off to a rather confusing start as, instead of the advertised INNER TERRESTRIALS, we were presented with just one member of the band. His name is JAY and, as well as forming them, he is also their main songwriter. Jay jokingly admits that he has "braved King's Cross station to be here!". The songs and the philosophy reflect stout and strong left wing beliefs and an Italian anti-fascist song is performed. He also tells of playing a gig against the mass culling of badgers. The rich rural squires are not his friends. "Free the land", give it back to the peasants. "Georgie" is a traditional folk song from the olde days! The set as a whole rather depresses me. It's more thought provoking and angsty rather than entertaining. Very much for the revolutionary spliff-filled free thinkers I feel.

You can never accuse NEW GROOVE FORMATION of having a conservative or staid stage presence. Fronted as ever by the irrepressible Iain Quinn, this mashed up multi ska collective bring a carnival and party atmosphere to Esquires. They have done this for the best part of a decade now. With a cheeky grin and a mischievous glint in his eye, Iain wishes us all a belated "Happy New Year!". Did he really dedicate "Lobster" to his ex-wife? Their reworking of "Let go" is intriguing and the old track seems reinvigorated. NGF reveal that they will soon be releasing their third album. Hopefully it might be "sorted" before the busy festival season when this band are always performing around the country. Whenever I think of New Groove Formation, a clear mental picture of bouncing up and down springs to mind. Needless to say there is plenty of that tonight. It's all recognisably ska, although sometimes it veers towards a touch of samba. Occasionally it is a little like Mardi Gras in Bedford!
Very soon the arrival of my favourite song comes along. The familiar intro tells me that "Turkish delight" has arrived. It's as sweet and gorgeous as the chocolate bar of the same name. They finish their set with such panache, firstly with "Dance with the devil" and then "New generation". As with their last gig here, Ryan decides to climb up onto the fragile lighting rigging. If he were to come to serious grief and fall on the crowd below he would prove Goldie Lookin Chain right. It's not guns that kill people but rappers! One to ponder for all those musical steeplejacks that frequent the main stage. Accidents do happen.

After their show for Oxjam here last October, CREDIT TO THE NATION returned to Esquires. Formed over twenty years ago, this politically fused electro hip-hop duo feature original founder member Matty Hanson, alias MC Fusion, who is as exuberant and lively as ever. Once again he is joined by DJ Crossflow, aka local sound recordist Karl Morey. The intro is slightly weird, but eerily atmospheric. A sound akin to a Gregorian chant echoes around the room for a couple of minutes. It's very much the calm before the storm as a forty minute blast of Credit, both old and new, sweeps over the main stage. The band are also joined later by a guest vocalist for a couple of songs, but naturally it's Matty that takes all the cheers. There are a lot of old time fans whose nostalgia pangs are sated when both "Teenage sensation" and "Call it what you want" are unleashed upon us. Matty calls the latter "a song for unity". He adds, with heartfelt honesty "Bedford. Respect". With nineties festival apearances at both Glastonbury and Reading, this ever cheerful and smiling fella has written and seen a lot. He seems very happy and relaxed to be playing Esquires. As the set comes to a close, "Bedford town" reverberates around the room. Dancing has triumphed again and Credit To The Nation have succeeded once more. "Take dis" indeed!