ANNE MARIE HURST, REPTILEHaUSE, ROBED IN DESIRE, FLESH EATING FOUNDATION.

Service at Bedford Esquires Lev 2 Died on Saturday 18th August 2012. R.I.P.

Review By Martin Stapleton.

It’s not too often that I turn up at the main stage and feel a sense of foreboding and even a hint of pessimism about the forthcoming headline act. It happens tonight, as ANNE MARIE HURST AND HER BAND appear at Esquires. This is most definitely a night only for nostalgic Goths who are still clinging on defiantly to their memories for the far off days of the mid 1980’s when this genre originated and was so very popular. Time has I feel, not been kind however, as the music feels and sounds so dated. The sixteen song set list takes in naturally the old stuff as well as showcasing material from Ms Hurst’s new album, Day Of All Days (for this reviewer it certainly wasn’t!)
Their long and tedious set must go down as one of the worst I have seen here for quite some while. Its gloom and doom laden feel is in no way helped by the fact that there is an incredible lack of atmosphere in the room itself. It does seem as if I am at a funeral of Bedford’s Goth scene. Where’s the vibrancy? And where are the people? OK, in fairness today’s hot and gloriously sunny weather cannot have helped as a beer garden or barbeque would be so much more appealing. However it does seem incredulous to note the lack of payers when you can go in to certain town centre pubs or walk around the streets and still see people representing the fashion and looks of this scene. Although Bedford used to have a thriving Goth community, for whatever reason, this seems to be no longer so. Indeed, Danny (of Danny’s bar) informs me that Esquires “used to be rammed” when any Goth band appeared here in the venues early days. How times have changed!
Trying to be objective, Anne Marie Hurst was never ever going to remotely interest me, all she conjures up is remembering when Radio Caroline (before it sunk) a pirate radio station endlessly played River Of No Return back in the Summer of 1986. This song was pleasant enough, catchy even, but hardly the sort of stuff to fire my musical imagination. Half way through the set tonight, an anaemic version is trotted out. New songs such as Lost In Munich and The Angels are perhaps for the old fans a hark back to the good old days of Goth. Unfortunately Radar Love only raises giggles from this reviewer! Collectively a very long and laborious set.

FLESH EATING FOUNDATION must be applauded for their inventiveness of stage presentation. The guitarists are wrapped up in a clear cling film plastic wrapper! On a baking hot on stage, this must have been a very uncomfortable experience, but at least they tried to be visually different and unusual, their fast, heavy, hi energy industrial programmed sound fits in perfectly as the vocalist barks out The World Revolves Around You. On perusal around the room, the early arrivals seem a little non pulsed by FEF, obviously it’s their first viewing of them, but most sadly seem stunned and disinterested.

A big thanks to the inimitable Steve Norman who leads his ROBED IN DESIRE cohorts to briefly add a welcome injection of fun in to the proceedings. His ironical and mischievous sense of humour is my overwhelming highlight of the night. This vocalists stance is basically a piss take of all the overblown, overpaid, oversexed, overcooked, rock god frontmen in any band you can imagine (especially the eighties) the posing and the pouting, the grabbing of the mic stand, this all too short set is concluded by Preacher Creature. While watching it, I ponder that if this had been performed at the recent Download festival then it would surely have got a mass of fifty thousand people singing along in unison, perhaps arms in the air as well. Just imagine that prospect Mr. Steve (Day a think I’m sexy) Norman!

REPTILEHaUS make a very rapid return to Esquires, having only been here three weeks ago supporting Eddie And The Hot Rods. This time they are a full force quartet. Sensing the funeral feel of the room. Kip instantly remarks “Its gone quiet hasn’t it!” sadly with no old punks in attendance, even Disco In Moscow barely raises a ripple. They battle on bravely, but seem to be a strange choice on this bill and also I feel they possibly should have opened.