LOVEBURGER, TINITUS.
Bedford Esquires Lev 2 Saturday 6th August 2005
Review by Finch (B.L.B.)
A decent turn out at Esquires was ready and waiting for what was a night almost too good to be true, four fantastic bands, all getting better and better those of you that weren't there, you really missed out.
TINITUS were the first band up. This band has their sites clearly set on metal and they pull it off with a strong Metallica-like aura; their influences shining through in tight covers and also in their own stuff that was solely based around the riffs from the front man, who was the new generation's version of James Hetfield, complete with "Oooh!"s and "Yeeaahh!"s. The band's negativities come in the form of the linear side to their own material, which is quite repetitive, relying on the main riffs too much, where a nice diverse section would've been appreciated. Still, a solid performance, and one to warm up the crowd.
It was nice to see the crowd push forward gradually for LOVEBURGER, who made their return to Esquires after a break of sorts. The four-piece write some of the most melodic rock to grace the Bedford music scene, and didn't fail to deliver the goods tonight. They opened with a few new tracks, showing off their ability to write intelligent music, which had the audience captivated by the level of intricate guitar-work and gripping emotional vocals, which make Loveburger an asset to the Bedford music scene. It was unfortunate that a few technical difficulties hampered the smoothness of a few songs, with the guitarist rushing off stage to borrow someone's guitar and returning just in time to end the song. The band played a tight set and looked to be enjoying themselves, ending on the three fantastic tracks from their debut EP. Tonight was a welcome return and a deserved good reception. Much love to the 'Burger.
The third band up this evening was SUMMERFALL, a band who is quite honestly impossible to generalise. Their sound is both original and promising, with four vocalists that compliment each other spectacularly, adding undisputed depth and dynamics to their polished hardcore sound that thrives on the screams, the riffs and the delivery of Summerfall to the crowd. Busting out a few new tracks this evening, the band appears to have been preparing well for their scheduled recording, which should feature 6 new tracks, definitely one to watch. A personal favourite of mine, "Senior Netball Practice - Cancelled" was played tonight, and I feel this is one of those songs that epitomises Summerfall, displaying their ability to contrast soft harmonious sections with hard-hitting choruses. Summerfall are a band that don't pull their punches, and are definitely improving as time goes by. With new songs exploding from within, they appear to be going places. Let's hope so.
MENDEED. I'll type that again, so you can read it again. M.E.N.D.E.E.D. I'd heard lots about this band from the people who know what they're talking about. I've seen them on TV and everything and they're known as the next big thing. They didn't disappoint - and, unlike the previous bands, they have one element to their music that makes its mark on you Mendeed are fucking loud. So loud in fact that Mendeed reminded me of that scene in Reservoir Dogs, where that cop gets held hostage by the gang and taken to the warehouse, and then Mr. Blonde uses a rather shiny cut-throat razor to hack his ear off Yeah, Mendeed are like that except, it's not a cut-throat razor, it's a bloodstained meat-cleaver, and Mr. Blonde isn't Mr. Blonde, it's some crazy goth bastard, with eye-make up, who doesn't just hack off your ear, he lops off your head, and screams vein-throbbingly loud down your neck, and of course, you're not screaming in pain, no, no, no You're grinning, wide eyed, nodding your head to every word he says, because you love Mendeed, and feel yourself becoming addicted to their total disregard for your ear-drums and their need to entertain. Mendeed played phenomenal metal, metal that isn't just metal, it's like titanium or something. The guitarists shredded their way through versus, and powered their way through loud, violent choruses. The drummer was a machine playing a machine - his kit was ha-uge, his arms were ha-uge, and quick, and his double kick was like a quadruple kick It was insane. When I finally picked up the courage to go down the front and bump into people at high velocity, I realised how talented they were as musicians, they simply blew me away.
Despite all this, Mendeed left Esquires leaving the audience with one question, 'where was everybody?' This review is for Bedford Metal Bedford METAL! Mendeed deserved a sell out crowd, they're an incredible upcoming band, and about as death metal as the Grim Reaper himself biting the balls off of each member of Slayer one at a time. So where were all the metal fans? Bedford's full of them! You really missed out tonight guys, what a night. 10/10.
Finch (from Bent Like Bob) www.bedfordmetal.co.uk
REVIEW TWO by Martin Stapleton
Tonights stand out performers were Glaswegian band MENDEED, who played with a vigour and vitality that was absolutely awesome. They were ear-shatteringly loud and played at a breakneck speed. As well as the superb musicianship, the lead singer was very appreciative of the venue and the town ? always a nice touch!
However, what was disappointing for me was that that many fans left before and during Mendeeds set ? there should be more to a night out than simply watching your favourite local band! With Mendeed gaining massive airplay and superlative write-ups in Kerrang, I reckon the punters who left early might soon be regretting it!
Prior to Mendeed, local young bands TINITUS, LOVERBURGER and SUMMERFALL played some good sets, especially Summerfall who are maturing with every performance, both visually and musically.