Sonic Boom Six plus The JB Conspiracy and Los Albertos
The Engine Rooms, Brighton
Sunday 13th May 2007
Kicking off a night of ska action on this dreary Sunday night in Brighton are local boys Los Albertos. With a sound that combines the earlier influences of The Police and Madness as well as the likes of Capdown and Catch 22, they manage to get tonight’s festivities well underway. Despite being the weakest act on show, they manage to get a large portion of the crowd skanking along from the start of their set, and by the time they leave the stage the walls of The Engine Rooms are officially drenched in sweat.
After a quick turnover, it’s down to Guildford’s JB Conspiracy to keep the two hundred strong crowd smiling and dancing, and boy do they do it well. Despite being down one member tonight (Trumpeter Johnny has had to pull out of the show due to exam commitments), they still manage to play with a level of professionalism that’s almost unseen on the current underground circuit. Having brought along a fair few of their own fans for tonight’s show, they have a large portion of the crowd singing along to all but the latest of their musical offerings. One to keep an eye out for sure in the coming year.
Tonight marks the first night in history that Sonic Boom Six have managed to make it down to Brighton and perform. For one reason or another they’ve never made it here at any point during their career, and it seems absence really has made hearts grow fonder in this case. As energetic as their songs suggest they should be, Leila leads her sextet through a relentless set of old favourites and a few newies thrown in for good measure. It’s easy to forget how unique this band are right now, and with such a vast range of musical influences it’s hard to pin them down into one specific genre. From the reggae based ‘Monkey See Monkey Do’ to the grittier efforts of ‘Sound System’ and ‘Northern Skies’, they’re an impressive bunch, even if to vocals of their vibrant frontwoman begins to grate one’s nerves before the end of their set. Overall though, a solid effort that more than anything managed to bring Chelsea smiles to the faces of Brighton’s ska fans.
www.myspace.com/sonicboomsix
www.myspace.com/thejbconspiracy
www.myspace.com/losalbertos
Andy R