Bedford Alternative Music Presents: The Thursday Showcase.
Playing Away with Watch The Walls and Fenix Fire.

Bedford Esquires Lev 1 Thursday 19th March 2009.

Photos (c)Bedford Alternative Music 2009.

REVIEW ONE Keith.

I really enjoyed the evening for the first of the B.A.M. Showcase events; it was a good turn out and atmosphere. Kicking off with FENIX FIRE with a band member from popular local punk band a few years ago Doubting Thomas, returning to Bedford with his band formed at uni and it seems still able to generate a Bedford following. Probably the best and most polished act of the night despite not being able to bring their bassist! As Im not greatly familiar with their songs it didnt make their sound seem lacking in any way and with the attitude of The show must go on they delivered an amazing opening set. Their lead singer is a real show man, adequately able to command the audience including friendly banter between songs that are quite vocal orientated and delivered well.
The guitarist was supporting by wearing a Jack Daniels T shirt and the singer was supporting the product by drinking it. Was that really a whole bottle he was necking? This band were nothing short of a fantastic opener!

As WATCH THE WALLS were a new young band it must have seemed less daunting for them not to have to go on first, however having to top the opening act must have seemed quite a challenge which they rose to well.
Such a great sound for just three band members with some talented percussion from their drummer, singing and guitar work from their smiley guitar/vocalist and a bassist who totally looked the part moving around while playing. Im sure they would also be the first to agree, they are certainly in need of a bit more polish and practice which can easily hone them in to a really good rock outfit as they already play a confident act while armed with some good tunes and are a band that I would definitely like to see again.

With a freshly new C.D. out of the recording studio, extreme death metal band PLAYING AWAY (OK Im joking they are a ska band). This is a young band that have had the experience and gig opportunities with a few gigs under their belts and more to come and a band that have noticeably benefitted from it, in having got tighter and better as they have gone on from their beginnings.
The brass section contains not just a hand full of people having a go on the instruments but really good musicians who can each individually demonstrate their playing abilities and come together in a band and perform the great party swing sound that you could see the whole room enjoying, whether it was older people at the back of the room or their younger fans up front it seemed the appreciation of the songs was high.
The four core brass section lifts the bands sound, while the guitars although played well perhaps need to project themselves a little further and not stay too much in the background, not the best sounding vocals but made up for with the energy, passion and movement enough to engage the audiences interest. Bedford isnt exactly over run with ska bands and Playing Away are fast becoming an entertaining act.

Above and beyond the call of duty, I would like to nominate the Man Of The Match award to the singer and guitarist of Fenix Fire who helped out on sound monitor duties.



REVIEW TWO BY Martin Stapleton.

As is becoming the tradition at this time of year, Bedford Alternative Music, courtesy of Keith Pickering, started its showcase Thursdays. The concept is clear and simple. Three successive Thursday heats downstairs in Danny's Bar, followed by a Maundy Thursday Easter extravaganza on level 2 featuring four of the bands showcased. Genre of music is totally irrelevant.

Travelling from Nottingham and first up are the hotly anticipated FENIX FIRE. They are championed by the young musos in town because they include guitarist Rory who was a member of Doubting Thomas a few years ago. Unfortunately, due to illness, the band are minus their bass player tonight. The remaining trio worked doubly hard, which seemed to pay off during their entertaining set. They hit the mark immediately with "Foundations", while a cover of the nu-metal song "Scars" is a song and style they feel so at home with. It's clear that the locals are enjoying these hardworking out of towners, especially when they give us their latest composition "From the ashes". In true rock'n'roll style, the vocalist swigs nonchalantly from a bottle of Jamesons that's close at hand. He does, however, have a bottle of water as well. "Darkside" induces a triumphant hand-waving crowd reaction which includes oodles of "Uh - whoa - uh ho whu -ho -whu-ho's" in it's vocals. For the struggles that Fenix Fire experienced today, the richly earned applause at the close is, I feel, thoroughly deserved. Well done lads.

WATCH THE WALLS are a young Flitwick trio new to Esquires and are playing their first proper gig, and how it showed. They seemed to spend a large chunk of their thirty minute set continually laughing and joking with their collection of mates who egged them on for good measure. The punked up threesome start well enough on their first song, but the hole they dug for themselves with all the inane chatter did them no favours. The style is very Blink 182, but tonight they talked better than they played!

It's good to report that Bedford's only active young ska band PLAYING AWAY are continuing to make good progress. With the addition of a couple of new members including Luke, formerly of Radiating Eyes, the line-up seemed at ease with itself. All eight youngsters are starting to gel. My eyes and ears are firmly fixated on the wonderful brass section this band employ. They start with their first composition ever, which is "Directions". It's skanking finale really gets everybody moving. Playing Away's engaging young vocalist tells us that the band have been in the studio recently putting together an EP. In fact, so popular was it tonight, that the copies were all sold before I could get my hands on one! Although the vocals are sometimes at odds with the rest of the band, I particularly enjoyed "Mr Fantastic", while the closing "Don't give up" could be aimed at these spirited youngsters.