Thu 20 Mar Lev 2 - Bedford Metal Thursday Showcase - Chaos Faerie (metal), Polite Underground (indie), Race Against Silence (punk), Radiating Eyes (punk). 8:00pm. 16+ free entry.
SHOWCASE 'The Best Of' 20th Mar:
First band to entertain us are metallers CHAOS FAERIE who comprise Mike Russell (lead vocals), Michele Grimaldi (guitar backing vocals), Jon Hankins (guitar), Duncan Arkley (bass backing vocals) and Alex Brown (drums). Apart from an eternity spent tuning up before their start and pregnant pauses between songs, the music itself is performed and presented well. With his long flowing hair, frontman Mike cuts quite a striking sight!
The music includes at times, plenty of old Nephilim influences. A cover of Nine Inch Nails 'Wish' includes a guest vocalist spot by Danny Young (HeKz) and as with all the bands this evening, the crowd needs no introduction to mosh by which Chaos Fairie induced so easy.
Set List: 1) In My Eyes, 2) Pathetic, 3) Wish (cover feat. Danny Young), 4) Goodbye, 5) Jaded.
THE POLITE UNDERGROUND feature Max Felts (drums), Jack Rudd (guitar), Waseem Stanley (guitar vocals), Nathan Spicer (bass). These indie youngsters certainly ooze confidence and the balloon fight between band and crowd typifies the fun element of the set! Frontman Waseems shades give it all a bit of a psychedelic feel, most certainly with the force of the opening three songs.
The slower and more melodic 'Stop The Clocks' lets everybody get a welcome rest while Sitting At No. 4 is the bands current My Space song. The only slightly disappointing aspect was the rather flat finish to their final song 'Heroin Heights' which contains a confusing outro and seems unrehearsed!
Set List: 1) Riotless Proceedings, 2) Kings and Queens, 3) All I want Is You, 4) Up The Bracket (cover), 5) Stop The Clocks, 6) Sitting At No. 4, 7) Heroin Heights.
THE RACE AGAINST SILENCE are an MK/Bedford based band who owe their allegiances to the work of Fightstar and similar bands of that ilk. Displaying a good attitude. The band contain Ed (vocals), Joe (Guitar) Moody (guitar), Pagey (bass) and Tony (drums). They have plenty of verve and drive that the crowd latch on to from an early stage. Its anthemic, very much finish your pint, now get your arms in the air! Vocalist Ed cocks his wrist at an angle as he deftly holds the mic. while instructing his young followers to join in with the chorus to questions, it goes something like this I think? "Questions that you blindly asked, you stumbled and you walked straight in to them", everybody responds enthusiastically and Ed tells them You have been amazing.
Set List: 1) Intro, 2) Combine Harvester, 3) Running From The Blood, 4) Of Tomorrow 5) Rooftops (cover), 6) Burn Toast Not Lies, 7) Questions.
Of the bands playing here tonight its only our next band THE RADIATING EYES that I have previously seen before. I know what to expect and yes they are still purveying their rather erbert behaviour! Its all free spirited rumbustious jolly jaunt through a garage punk tunnel. Now free to express themselves more freely than the restrictive bar, they thrive with the space, especially Daz who specialises in some over the top juvenile anarchic shenanigans! The mosh pit is a total no go zone for those of a rather nervous disposition. But both bands and the crowd go full throttle for maximum pleasure! The Radiating Eyes are well worth keeping an eye out for on the local scene, but for this reviewer only from a safe distance!
Reviewed by Martin Stapleton. Check out the bands at : Chaos Faerie (www.myspace.com/thechaosfaerie)
Polite Underground (www.myspace.com/thepoliteunderground)
Race Against Silence (www.myspace.com/theraceagainstsilence)
Radiating Eyes(www.myspace.com/theradiatingeyes)
Review by Martin Stapleton.