Bedford Alternative Music Presents: The Thursday Showcase.
Metal Kettle, Ministers Dead, Escaping Juliet, Wearewolf.

Bedford Esquires Lev 1 Thursday 10th March 2011.

Photos (c)Bedford Alternative Music 2011.

With METAL KETTLE they wasnt on first because they were the youngest, with these gigs if they had supplied and shared the drum kit they could have headlined and if they had accepted the gig offer sooner, they could have gone higher up on the bill! However for an opening act they did remarkably well, opening up with the tuneful Death Row with its jaunty Celtic leanings with danger of making you have the tune in your head all night. There were two great guitarists on at once Angus Young from AC/DC and Rupert, the high cheek boned, water melon T shirted young guitarist from Metal Kettle (although Angus Young was on the TV music programme above them while the industrial material kitchen utensil Metal Kettle raged on). An extremely fast sailors horn pipe tune was soloed on guitar showcasing his skills even further, Im sure he could easily throw in a few confident guitar hero postures and shapes without it looking too over the top. They have a strong bass line also, cheerily played from the slender twig like fingers plucking away on bass, who is also the younger brother of the main guitarist. Although the vocals are shouted in delivery I still think they could have more power and volume behind them to add a more stronger vocal presence. Live fave fun cover Gay Bar ended a cheery talented and entertaining set.

Relatively new MINISTERS DEAD got their act together to play next, with band members not new to playing Bedford, having played with various other bands including Flaccid and Peanuckle remember them? They have quite a charismatic front man singer with his Patrick Troughton trousers jigging round while singing, with a much more powerful vocal delivery than the previous band, with out the shouts and growls! They have a strong punk vibe from its original source, with a welcome added Dead Kennedys cover thrown in. The crowd seemed to be divided with people going for a fag when it was announced they have one more song, or people commenting how good they were. Either way they had a definite entertainment value and an overall good to listen to vibe to the bands sound.

From the Luton quarter, with just a few shows under their belt in their home area that have already collected a fan base ESCAPING JULIET crab cored their way through their set. Admittedly nervous their lead singer looked as if he had soon gained all confidence, with his baulk and tattoos putting the hard in to hardcore and delivering a great show of strength in to the gruff vocal style. I think if it was this style all the way through, or the more standard vocals of their bassist, it wouldnt be as interest holding as the fusion between the two. To call their bassist a backing singer would be a crime, as with such a great sounding voice and large amount of singing duties adds that balanced dimension to the singing parts of their sound. They have some exceptionally good guitar work throughout and the drumming has a competent intricacy of its own, adding more flavour and flair than if it was just a repetitive striking of the kit. Although some vocals sounded off kilter in places, the whole set was tight and got the crowd going up front like a proper full band experience and probably my favourite performance of the night.

Another band able to rip up the space played on and all too obviously looking every inch as though they should have a larger arena to command, are WEAREWOLF a band more overpopulated than a Dickens novel, with band members sometimes standing there waiting for their cue to play. Hailing from Milton Keynes and already peaking a lot of interest among fans, they have quite a well practiced sound played with their quarter lengths and arse in pants falling out of their trousers trying all to hard not to be emo, instead resurrecting their own style of hardcore action accompanied by a blistering pace of hypnotizingly good drumming . The energy, presence and on stage movement just cried for a large stage, seeming to capture the crowds approval while they thrashed out each song. With this band on the scene and with the next full moon youd better watch out! (And with their trousers halfway down their pants they could be full mooning like a wearewolf in your town soon!)