Sameday Service, The Kindred, Girls Hits Boy, Hammerfluff.

The Well Music Venue, Luton. Thursday 21st April 2005.

By The Metatron

It's good to see The Well now putting on live bands itself after the big audiences generated by the "Shoot The Sun" and "Weight Promotions" nights.
Tonight also had a sizable crowd looking forward to a night of punk music.

First on are a relatively new band HAMMERFLUFF
I felt full of dread as the group of over excited friends and family (one as young as 7 !) gather at the front and the band climbed onstage, looking like they are still years away from puberty.
Very young band, inexperienced, first slot, Oh God what had I let myself in for ?
So it was a very pleasant surprise when Hammerfluff got stuck in and showed competency beyond their years.
A tight little 4 piece of lads and a young floppy haired girl on guitar and vocals, playing generic Nu-Punk with pace and a fair bit of flair.
Quite like the numerous Green Day / Blink 182 clones around today, but with an almost Iron Maiden edge at times (Whom I'm sure they have never even heard of. LOL).
Backing vocals worked well and when they switched to the lads leading and the girl screaming / growling, it was rather aggressive.
By no means the finished article, but entertaining and proving that even a new band can play their own stuff well and entertain a crowd.

Second up are another local band promoting themselves like crazy, BOY HITS GIRL
Again I get the feeling of dread returning as this ragged bunch of lads fumble about on stage, taking FOREVER to get ready.
Unfortunately this time all my worst fears are realised, as Boy Hits Girl stumble into their first "song". Unable to stay in time with each other, or even at a constant pace (the drumming speeding up and slowing down as the band become confused and disjointed), BHG look and sound like they have been practicing in their bedrooms, probably not in the same house or at the same time.
I think they were aiming at the same territory as Hammerfluff, but missed by a mile. 2 cover versions were also murdered during their set and there was more chat between songs than actual music.
However there were highlights:-
One of the guitarists generating a bizarre type of Oedipus complex and singing about one of the other band members mum how she "had it really going on", the cuddly hippo almost falling off the PA and the band resorting to getting the crowd to cheer for the other bands. -
Let's hear it for Hammefluff - BIG CHEER.
Let's here it for The Kindred - BIG CHEER.
Let's hear it for Sameday Service - BIG CHEER.
Let's hear it for Girl Hits Boy - GROAN.
Says it all really.

So to rescue the night are THE KINDRED, back from various universities and widely regarded as Luton's top Nu-Punk band.
With the large contingent of the "XLD" ready to lap it up, The Kindred boys did not disappoint. This band are huge Green Day fans and it shows in their music, but this is also a band which seems to be undergoing a change in direction; Their material seems to fall into 3 basic categories, Punk, a bit of Metal, then at times very very Rock. I would suggest that their range of musical taste and therefore influences has widened recently and that has improved their own music dramatically.
The set is varied, almost to the point of getting lost, as the pit stops to work out if they can get carried away to the next song, but flawlessly played and professionally presented.
Rumour has it they may be looking to expand to a 4 piece, a promising and exciting thought. The only down side may have been that they over played their set time (sometimes less is more boys), but I don't think the XLD cared at all.

And so to the headline act of the night, SAME DAY SERVICE, .
This 3 girl Punk act all the way from Texas USA, have been on a 2 week tour of the country and expectations were high.
With twins (guitar and drums) both singing and an unstoppable mosh monster on bass, they kicked out by the numbers Punk, which was not too aggressive.
Vocals are clear and harmonise fairly well, instruments are played well if simply and it's quite a feast for the eyes of the eager young lads at the front.
Sameday Service have obviously had lots of live experience and were an enjoyable way to round the night off, but I found their material to be a bit easy to predict and ultimately unsatisfying.
However enough praise to them simply for getting off their backsides and touring our little old country, with music they believe in.
They show the kind of ambition, professionalism and organisation that many of our own bands should try to emulate.

To sum up, another entertaining and well supported night at The Well. With more dates to follow this venue just won't die.
And that is a damn good thing.

www.sdsrocks.com
www.kindred.tk

The Metatron. www.bedfordmetal.tk