On the surface, Punk doesn’t sit well with Heaven. Buried in central London, it’s a hub for heavy beats and over-priced drinks, but scratch away the surface, and it’s not really all that bad.
There’s a great party atmosphere tonight for this evening’s Halloween ball – and kicking things off are THE JAMES CLEAVER QUINTET [4/5]. Last time Punktastic saw The JCQ, they were killing the Local Heroes stage at Hevy before glassjaw came on, and they’re on similarly ridiculous form tonight. A highlight of the weekend then, and a great way to kick off tonight – the band’s Halloween attire involves stockings and tiger outfits from the flanking bass and guitarists, and they most certainly get the crowd involved. Their set climaxes with Jimmy (bass) taking a high leap from a wall fixing, and should they avoid serious injury and tearing through all the equipment – you’ll be hearing much much more from these guys in the future.
Next up are ROBOTS IN DISGUISE [2/5], who have basically wasted a decent band name on being a bit of a waste of space. It’s not like they’re terrible, and there’s something about the chemistry that works, but they’re a bit fashion driven and lazy for Punktastic’s taste – wacky Mighty Boosh connection or not.
Finally – the tempestuous EIGHTIES MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER [3.5/5] take the stage. Amid stories of high drama over the course of the tour, it appears that the band may have been on their last round-country outing.
The band, however, show none of this on stage, and their live shows still contain all the electricity that made them as respected as they are. The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster are one of the greatest bands of their ilk to come out of the UK, and though the end of the tour seems to have left the veterans a bit exasperated, they suit the Halloween party as well as any band ever could.