'Hairgell Presents:'.
iLiKETRAiNS, with THE DAN FLAY BAND,
and THE JUMPSUIT COLLECTIVE.
Bedford Esquires Lev 2.
Monday 8th May 2006.
cheers, M.Chance. www.bedfordmetal.co.uk
The Jumpsuit Collective came to the stage to a
discouragingly meagre Monday audience, which unfortunately seemed to negatively
colour their performance. They come across as an indolent but optimistic bunch
of slackers, and as such, a frontman with a certain amount of boyish charm is
needed to create empathy within the audience, and raise them above the amateur.
There were flashes of a more lively charisma, but overall a tangible sense of
disappointment radiated from the lead singer, (who goes under the name of
'Jumpsuit King') which became grating, and somewhat undermined their
"rag-tag" appeal.
Musically, they peddle an enjoyably lo-fi shambles of acoustic strumming,
smatterings of clunking synth, kazoo fanfares and the occasional impeccably
timed comedy birdcall (a slide whistle for the pedantic), and end up somewhere
between a less gutsy Billy Bragg; Art Brut playing an improvised set at the
Green Man festival; and an unremarkable latter day Bonzo Dog Band. Of course,
much of their appeal lies in the lyrics, which display an endearingly nave,
yet quick-wittedly knowing escape from a distinctly average existence, and are
sung with a mixture of Damon Albarn apathy and the deadpan delivery of Mike
Skinner. A personal favourite was 'I'm a Geek', which combined equally a sense
of self-deprecation and pride; a combination that will strike a chord with
anyone who really can "tell the difference between things like ROM and
RAM" or have ever owned "12 sided dice" (you know who you are).
Ultimately, they are an enjoyable act, but to set themselves apart from everyone
else and become memorable they need to: 1. flesh out their sound with more
creativity and invention (especially on guitars), and 2. discover the secret of
a catchy chorus.
www.myspace.com/jumpsuitcollective
The Dan Flay Band have been a frequent fixture
around Bedford recently, and for good reason; they are currently in the number
one spot of a competition run by everyone's hangover favourites, Popworld on T4
(to find out more and download some tracks go to www.popworldpromotes.com). If
they win the competition then they get to play on the show and make a video
amongst other privileges, so if you want to support an up and coming local band,
I suggest you go see them live and they will tell you how to vote.
They play a polished strain of melodic and heartfelt - dare I say, emo- rock
that is a greatly expanding force in underground music nowadays. They use a
very-soft / very-loud dynamic that makes for some interesting song structure,
especially those which seem to borrow a long, ascending and ultimately climactic
path from post-rock.
Despite a delayed start, Dan quickly established himself as a vocalist of great
talent, with a hugely versatile range, although he too often strays into
territory occupied by a hundred other young performers influenced by such bands
as Biffy Clyro, Brand New, Alkaline Trio etc. The most effective and touching
moments of the performance came with the contribution of Ruth Harris' backing
vocals, delivered in a gentle folk style at best reminiscent of Eliza Carthy,
which complimented Dan's voice and gave the music a far greater depth.
www.myspace.com/danielflay
iLiKETRAiNS ; not the most rock 'n' roll of names,
you may think, but at first sight, neither are the band; it's all unashamed
anorak beards and matching station masters jackets from here on in. However,
perhaps on a similar mission to the Jumpsuit Collective, they stand as living
proof that even geeks can rock out, and they sure did. Slow-burning post-rock
mini epics mount unstoppably like a rising tide of sound, spitting white flecks
of cymbal noise and triumphant, soaring crests of bugle atop a pounding,
rhythmic wave that washes around the audience, lifting them on an upward surge
to be eventually let down, slightly confused as to where all this driftwood has
appeared from. The answer, it seems, is the Antarctic. Their new single, 'Terra
Nova' tells the story of Captain Scott's doomed voyage to the southernmost point
of the earth. The story is a sinister one of death and tragedy, and the music
perfectly paints a harsh, barren and cold orchestral landscape over which the
fateful lyrics struggle onward; slowly yet purposefully. Dave Martin's
foreboding Morrisey baritone stalks languidly across ice sheets of glistening,
yet brittle guitar, held afloat on the firm undercurrent of Alistair's bass
work.
Behind it all laid one of their trademarks, an old slide and cine film
projector, controlled with creative measure to give a shifting narrative
backdrop to the music, a technique employed by art rock bands in the 60's heyday
of experimentation such as the sublime Velvet Underground, but more recently
taken up by a genre of (often Scandinavian) bands such as Sigur Ros and Mew. It
shows that the band have a broad scope of interest and talent, as well as their
awareness of a concert being an all-round experience, rather than a cynical
cashing-in opportunity. For a band to employ visual elements in this context is
also endearingly modest, because it invites the viewers attention away from
themselves, thus avoiding the clich rock posturing that can occur when music
in general is constrained within the (often uninteresting) personalities of
'four blokes on a stage'. This also allows them to explore themes and characters
that are far removed from staid truisms, the mundanity of the everyday, or
another prosaic account of romantic entanglement. Of course, for these basics to
be aired is vital, but rarely does a band come along with something so truly
alternative to talk about as this.
www.iliketrains.co.uk