*This show was at the SPORTZ ACADEMY, WATFORD*
I could write a few hundred words on Watford and how its scene has the potential to be one of the best in the country, but anyone who has ever lived locally should know this. So, without further ado, I?ll stop gassing about how, finally, there appears to be a decent venue in the town and start talking about the show.
I only caught the very end of ONE TOY SOLDIER?s set so I can’t really write a particularly well informed review; the song I did catch seemed quite reasonable in the hard-indie/melodic rock stakes though. The singer?s voice reminded me of that bloke from Busted/Fightstar and the guitarist threw his guitar down at the end of the set, both of which made me smirk. It?s a shame I missed their other songs as there was certainly a spark of interest there for me, if nothing else.
I?d previously read reviews of TELLISON and knew I wouldn?t like them, not because they?ve had bad reviews (quite the opposite) but because their spiky indie stylings are really not my cup of tea. As a result, their quirkiness bordered on becoming seriously irritating towards the end of their, thankfully, short set. It would be harsh to end the review there after merely judging them subjectively upon their music however, because as musicians, they demonstrated themselves as being a competent and capable band who delivered their songs well, even if they did look a bit timid between numbers.
I must admit, I?d only jumped on the LATTERMAN bandwagon fairly recently, kicking myself I hadn?t found them sooner. On record you get the impression they?ll be a brilliant live act, and that they are. Passion, enthusiasm and the general feeling the band actually believes in their music are things I hold dearly in judging a band?s performance and LATTERMAN scored top marks in all categories. A power surge mid-set was a bit of a downer as it cut into a few minutes of an already fairly short performance but the songs they did play were ballsy, gritty, proper fists-in-the-air punk rock, which is, clearly, how it should be played. Catch them on their current tour, you won?t be disappointed.
Ashamedly, this was the first time I?d witnessed GALLOWS? causing carnage live. Within seconds of the first drum beat the crowd went seriously mental, but given the ferocity and sheer violence of GALLOWS? performance I?m not surprised. I?m not one to condone ?machismo? bullshit among crowds, but you have to admire the way GALLOWS worked the crowd into a manic frenzy from start to finish; their frontman was like a man possessed – his blood curdling screams and manic behaviour was scary at times but I couldn?t look away for a second. GALLOWS? discordant brand of hardcore may not be accessible enough to make them massive but if their performances are consistently this strong they will cause more than a stir in the underground this year. Brutal, intensely brutal. *
CAPTAIN EVERYTHING! Should need no introduction, they are, without doubt, the most consistently flawless live band in the country and have been for a while. Seeing them play a hometown show is always special and tonight was obviously no exception. What you really have to admire about C*E! live is just how damn fast they play, tonight?s show was bordering on the ridiculous though and I?m not over exaggerating ? they should really get out the record books. Aside from being the fastest band you?re likely to come across, C*E! are possible one of the most amusing ? they don?t crack many gags and rely on gimmicks but they just provide pure fun and do so without following the latest fads which strikes the chords of genuinity as well as being highly refreshing. A few tasters of new material was unleashed and, fortunately, it sounded distinctly like C*E! The album should, therefore, be a corker.
*To mar a really good night, some low-life piece of scum stole GALLOWS? merch bag which contained a considerable amount of cash as well as shirts etc, if anyone knows about this ?disappearance? I?m sure the band would appreciate it if you got in touch with them.
-Mike