'Craven Presents - One For The Underground'.

JESSIE JAMES, with FAILSAFE, A BILLION EARNIES, WEIGHTLOSS and STEPPING OVER JENNY.

Bedford Esquires Lev 2.

Good Friday 14th April 2006.

I walked in to the on stage party wall of sound that is STEPPING OVER JENNY forming a row of people filling out the length of the stage.
'The Junglists' removed from this show have been on tour with the other main bands and it would have been good to have seen them at Esquires, but the local talent - (word used with precision) of S.O.J. was still great to see. Their set was served up on a polystyrene plate with their set list on (well that's different) and probably featured too many covers but was a great way to open a night of ska. If you want more - See them at the Easter Fest at the Beds Ath. this Easter Sunday.

Perhaps not one of their better gigs (and I've seen quite a few) WEIGHTLOSS would probably agree. They are a great ska band none the less and have some great musicians on all instruments whether they are playing sax, drums, bass, trumpet, or building mud huts in a far eastern country - (although the band member doing that is temporarily replaced with a new member in the brass section for this gig). Long time friend Goody, bust another guitar string and in panto fashion people were signalling "behind you" when an alternative guitar was being offered from the wings back stage, rest assured, his powerhouse of strumming would be a threat to any weakened guitar string. Their drummer must be fit, as he never seems to break in to a sweat despite all the high-powered energy that goes in to the performance, although his near naked playing keeps him cool. They have dropped some of my favourite songs in place of new material and quite a few T-shirts were being sold on the stall I noticed as well. - I wonder if they sell 'Weightloss guitar strings' "Get me some quick and make them snappy!"

The Yanks were up next on tour with the above band, having just played London previously this week. A BILLION EARNIES have an unusual fusion of new metal and ska, which gives them a more unique appeal with their enlarged brass section, seeming to make that part sound more prominent. They got the crowd moving well and put a lot of energy in to giving a ska party no holds barred performance.
I thought it was not quite as traditional as other ska bands, which actually made their sound more appealing to me.

FAILSAFE added a little extra and contrast to the whole evening. I rather like bands that are a bastard to review because they don't fall in to a particular type. Sounding like a lot of clenched fists behind back, screaming emo bands - ok they wasn't quite like that but having them on the ska night made them a more fresher and appealing act to include variety to the bill. Perhaps a bit Summerfall (Bedford band) in places but more punk and I thought, quite a professional sound with good hooks and quality tunes. Not the most memorable band ever, but has to be said that I thought it was a good idea to put this slightly more heavier outfit on just before the headliners to add a great bit of contrast.

JESSIE JAMES These red devils on stage raised the level even higher and put on a performance livelier than squirrels on caffeine. They had a double keyboard sound in to the mix and bursts of energy all round.
They all wore red t-shirts and one of them looked suspiciously like shaggy off Scooby Doo. All in red, their on stage movement, bopping around like red core pussels under a microscope!
Several nods towards their merchandise stall were made through out the gig, while the 6 front men singing like a football crowd in places, looked as though there were enjoying what they were doing, sometimes all on stage like a huge full swing party and sometimes a few off stage depending on their instruments prominence. Towards the end one of them surfed in to the crowd, rounding off an evening of quality ska in Bedford.
I'm going to dedicate this review to two people from the band Gain - Tuffin and Tree, who were seen throughout the evening skanking their hearts out on the dance floor with big smiles on their faces.

Review by keith.

REVIEW TWO BY MARTIN STAPLETON

Tonight, One For The Underground presented a rare full on Ska evening. Five bands featuring the unique unmissable sound of all things brass. Firstly, it was the very young eight piece STEPPING OVER JENNY. Their start is very hesitant and shaky but they develop midway through the set and become a little more relaxed and self-assured. Repeating their marvellous performance of ?Science of Selling Yourself Short?, which is once again the highlight of their time on stage. The rather cheekily titled ?(S)He?s Naked Again? in which the band amusingly inform us that the song is all about one of the band members past exploits, although not revealing who it is.

WEIGHTLOSS are currently on tour with The Junglist and A Billion Ernies, of which vocalist Dan reveals ?has been great fun and thankfully my voice is holding up?! Last night they had performed at the Camden Underworld, which was a massive thrill for them and judging by the look and sound of their stage show, the boys are still on a musical high, this being the penultimate night of their sortie, before finishing at the homecoming gig in Hitchin tomorrow. ?Ebb and Flow? is a forerunner to what follows as the delicious brass section kicks in big time. In fact, only a broken string during ?Keep Walking? halts Weightloss?s imperious progress. The infinitely heavy rock blast of 'High Types' ends an enjoyable set.

I have to admit wasn?t quite sure what to expect after ?Yankie? visitors A BILLION ERNIES stage managed a mini riot on the conclusion of their first song. Three ?Ernies? carefully orchestrated top moshing which almost ends in complete disaster! A Billion Ernies are a six piece who feature a lovely three piece brass-ska collective which is then dynamically fused with a drummer, vocalist and guitarist who would easily pass as a Nirvana tribute act! This band are the ultimate ska meets grunge combo. A combination makes this band such unlikely bedfellows but believe me, it most certainly works. Playing with fun and enjoyment, it is best epitomised when Front Man Ernie asks the crowd ?can we come back and play in Bedford next week??. Oh if only, a ridiculous scenario, as very shortly they will be playing in five thousand seat stadiums, but at least the folk of Bedford will remember with affection tonight and the band that is A Billion Ernies.

Preston?s FAILSAFE are most welcome return visitors, although bucking the trend tonight by appearing ?brassless?, these northern lads are probably my favourite band of the evening. Their previous Esquires visit was good, but this is even better as they promote their current album. Extremely strong vocals, and skilled musicianship, applied to a deft use of lyrics as frontman Jim cries ?We?re not afraid! We?re tired of years of segregation? on ?Unity in Progress?. This most flexible of bands puts a slightly different perspective on the mood tonight. ?To Deny yourself?, features the profound lyric ?Could You Believe Something so Special Could be so Wrong??

Headliners JESSE JAMES have, in their illustrious career, amazingly never appeared at Bedford?s Premier Music Venue - an oversight that was thankfully rectified tonight. So this is a massive treat for all of us, considering the reputation this band has built up. Tonight, all kitted out in matching red tops, they spin out an utterly amazing 14 ska soaked sounds. Jesse James principally use this gig tonight to as a chance to play songs from their forthcoming new album, wryly entitled 'Jesse James, The Assassination Of', which includes the new single ?Everything? which the boys perform superbly tonight. Old favourite ?Shoes? seems to be the fans favourite tonight as it gets everybody infectiously ?moving and grooving?. However, the controversial ?Dear Jesus?, on this most holy of days might be perceived as being a little near the mark. The set concludes with ?Bored?, which on this, and all the other bands efforts tonight, we most certainly are not.

Review 1 Keith. www.bedfordmetal.co.uk Review 2 Martin Stapleton www.bedfordesquires.com