May 31, 2006
Gregory and Eric
For those of you who have never checked out the Glo Bar which is situated right in the middle of the Notts Uni site in town, it is quite impressive on first view. A large stage area, good bar and plenty of room, means that this is certainly a venue worth coming to see bands at and tonight we are here for a fest of local acts which will finish with the mighty Seretone. To start the night however it is folky indie rock from Gregory and Eric. The first thing that stands out about this band is their great diverse dynamic, with several members swapping instruments later on in the set and mixing big guitar riffs with smooth, soothing vocals and interesting percussion and accordion which gives them a experimental yet very catchy edge. The songs move very well and with nice drop outs and build ups they ix the emotion of bands like Doves and Snow Patrol with a harder feel at times a la Idlewild kicking in. Their drummer and bassist hold the songs down well with tight performances from both whilst the guitars, vocals and accordion add dynamic and emotion to their songs. The other real impressive thing was the vocal talent of both singers, though at times I felt they could have made more of this double vocal talent and added more harmonies and interesting patterns. Gregory and Eric have a very catchy sound that has great movement and epic melodies, they could still maybe make more of their obvious talent and experiment more with both their musical talents and vocal ability but for now this was a very good opening set that shows much promise.
http://www.myspace.com/gregoryanderic
Dust Bunnies
Next up are a band who we have been impressed by before, The Dust Bunnies kick up the tempo and power with their bouncy mix of rock n roll. From the start of their set The Dust Bunnies are really catchy and mix their genres well into a powerful and uncompromising slab of rock. The drum beats are strong and simple with some funky bass lines and great guitar riffs which mix raw sounding blues rock with a more punky edge that gives them a very 70’s edge. The vocal talents of singer Will are very important to their sound and his raw, powerful voice carries the melodies, mixing grunting bluesy shouts with soulful screams and funky patterns. The lead guitar adds diversity and power and with some great dynamic breakdowns which show even more diversity (with some almost Ska influence at times) this is great stuff and gets people moving. They also have a decent stage presence and even though they are never mind blowingly original, the Dust Bunnies add great energy to the garage punk rock genre which has more than enough of a original edge to keep you interested and fired up. Punchy, emotional rock n roll that mixes the raw edge and powerful vocal catchiness of The Jam and Bowie with the upbeat energy of the early Stokes and gets this night really bouncing along well.
http://www.myspace.com/dustbunniesnottingham
Dirty Kanvus
Now this night is really starting to buzz and it builds up another notch with the next act, Dirty Kanvus. This band once more have a 70’s edge to their sound with some really atmospheric and trippy build ups and by mixing that 70’s feel with big rocky riffs and huge drum patterns they mix the energy of Primal Scream with the emotion of bands like the Verve. The drummer really uses his full kit well with lots of tom rolls and this helps to fill out and build up the power, which gives Dirty Kanvus a heavy edge to their indie rock n roll style. The strong bass lines and flowing guitar riffs help give this band an interesting edge and with some great backing harmonies to accompany the already strong lead vocal, they really mix styles from across the last few decades. Dirty Kanvus’s songs are also very memorable and catchy and having only seen them once before several of their songs got lodged in my head and I seem to remember both the catchy melodies and catchy vocal lines well. This band are very solid and mix some really nice influences to create music that will appeal to fans of rock from many backgrounds.
Lois
Next are Lois, who again kick the energy level up a few notches and from the off get quite a few people dancing. They have a pretty simple feel, that has lots of bounce and energy and a very 50’s rock influence with a heavier almost punk undertone. The bouncy bass lines and funky guitar riffs carry the songs and keep them fairly catchy and energetic. It is quite a odd mix and sounds sort of like a garage punk rock band playing Grease songs! The vocalist also has a very memorable voice, but in a different way. It is really quite high and whiny at times and a few people even asked if it was a female singer but no, it is a guy! After a good start I felt that Lois didn’t build on there fairly original style and many of the songs got a bit repetitive and started becoming obvious and boring. A good, tight and upbeat band, that sadly had nothing to make them stand out to much and seemed to lack imagination and diversity. At least they tried hard to bring the spirit of rock n roll back to a new generation but I am not quite sure it worked on this showing.
Seretone
So to the finale and we are going to witness one of Nottingham’s coolest bands Seretone. With their big drums and trippy synths, from the start of their set Seretone mix huge, epic synths and guitar effects to create atmospheric yet catchy songs. The clear and punchy vocals keep the lyrics lines strong and catchy whilst the music has masses of depth. The bass lines hold the songs down whilst the drumming is powerful and crushing giving a solid base for the other instruments to work round. The guitarist’s mix big heavy rock riffs with twisted and flowing melodies which build the songs and give them great dynamic, which is build on even more so by the huge tapestry of synth magic! This band has a very original feel and by mixing very catchy and punchy rock with the great build ups of 90’s dance music, they offer a energetic and emotional live show. Think U2, Duran Duran or Depeche Mode being remixed by Massive Attack or even Amon Tobin or Autechre. It is dark, souring rock music with a depth and atmosphere that few bands I have heard on the local scene can produce, if you want to see something that will breath emotion into your bones the way big dance bands do and yet still has catchy rock roots I would recommend Seretone to do just the trick!
