FILTHY VISUALS, 3 Year Coma, Rich 'Dilenquent' Taylor.

The Forresters Arms, Union Street, Bedford. Friday 8th November 2013.

Review not to be cut n pasted on to Facebook!

Tonight I'm having a flipping Filthy Friday in the 'Forries'. Let me care to explain further. For those cynical readers of these regular BAM reviews who believe that the rambling musings of this 'sad old git' are tied to the Esquires venue, I have a pleasant surprise. For the first time (I think. Keith?) in both the guises of Bedford Alternative Music and predecessor Bedford Metal (Bedford's longest running dedicated music website) it is a pleasure to bring you a live gig review from The Forresters, a hostelry situated on Union St, close to the town centre. From being a predominantly student pub a decade ago, a change of ownership has completely revolutionised this place. A traditional old 'two bar', the larger public domain is ruled both by live TV sport and music.

Tonight the bar is packed, a testament to our headine band FILTHY VISUALS. Initially there is a nagging worry in the back of my mind about this evening. With the room having a hard floor, the sound clarity might be a major problem. I need not have worried because Filthy Visuals have their own 'insurance man' in residence. His name is Derek Clark and he is the sound engineer tonight. What a truly fantastic job he does this evening. The sound is loud but pristine with the cushioning warmth of a couple of expensive speakers. This is so vital to any gig.

The four Filthy lads are the first to take their respective places. Frontlady Stef is the last to assemble. She is the ever friendly face of the band. She pauses, smiles and them enquires "How ya doing everyone?". "So who's been waiting for us all night?" Cheers immediately rise up from everyone present. She then ramps it up further with "Do you want some more?". We sure do and we get it, firstly with "Hardball" and then with the grungy "Cupid stunt". We all agree with the petite lady when she says "this song is pretty awesome". "Crybaby" rumbles with a seething cauldron of bass supplied by James, resplendent in his Zipheads T-shirt. This band are fuelled by a healthy mix of potent elements. There is a raw, raucous cacophony of overdriven jagged guitars and thunderous basslines, while a whip-crackin' lean sticksman gives it the full wallop. The room is heaving and from my limited vantage point I notice that Stef gains a height advantage. Ah those pub beer crates come in handy for nights such as these. The extra inches are a distinct plus on "Pressure". It's proof of their uncanny knack of writing some delightfully skewed rocky pop songs, but with cupfuls of rock 'n' roll romanticism.

Although they excel with their own written material Filthy Visuals have, and continue to bring us, some excellent covers. This segment begins with "Zombie", an old favourite of theirs. Then one really makes my ears prick up, the absolutely divine "Somebody to love". This sixties acid classic is given due justice and huge respect. All of a sudden I have got the munchies! The curiously titled "Dick punch" sees Stef prowling the floor seductively, slinky and svelte. This girl can snarl, pout or purr politely; bare her teeth or flutter her eyelashes. The songs capture her mood perfectly. The smile of an angel that can rapidly turn into the stare of an assassin. Either way, this jollied up Friday gathering are hooked around her tiny fingers. Gutter rock rules on "Trouble". The pub is buckling under the strain. Sweat is pouring from the dancing throng and the windows are, as Tina used to sing, very steamy! Copious amounts of alcohol are both necked and spilled in what appears to be equal measure. It's getting real messy!

In the sometimes amoebic world of band evolution, 2013 has been a somewhat challenging year for Filthy Visuals. In the past few weeks they appear to have a more stable and rejuvenated air to their demeanour. "Useful idiot" and a deserved encore bring the set to a close. As the band pack away their kit, they may care to reflect that they have been through plenty, but staying strong and focussed. I hope that they still have plenty more journeys left. For this reviewer, I am only too happy to jump onboard again soon. Final score tonight: Filthys 1 - Detractors 0.

Also plying their musical trade tonight are, firstly, an acoustic set from Filthy's guitarist RICH 'DILENQUENT' TAYLOR. "Aye aye" is his familiar rallying call. It brings a response from his old Carnal band mate George Galvin who is watching on. Rich delivers the covers, ranging from "Walking on the moon" to Machine Head. Thankfully the latter is post-watershed and hopefully not heard by the old folks next door as a certain F word gets mentioned repeatedly. A fine version of the Roger Miller standard "King of the road" is warmly received. As anyone who has ever seen Rich before will know, this man always finds time to state the obvious. "Alcohol is awesome". It certainly is.

Appearing at very short notice are 3 YEAR COMA. They perform a set of acoustic songs. The quartet bravely fight back the nerves to rightfully receive plenty of applause. The harmonies work well in what looks to be an awkward venue for these keen girls. This is a very useful learning curve for them. A mention of thanks must also go to Caroline Greenwood who made the whole show possible and continues to bring music to The Forresters.