November 17, 2005
So our friends at Gigged have put this juicy line up on tonight and to kick things off we have Gaucho. The first noticable thing about this band is the power behind the vocals, with a early 90's grunge feel to his deep voice, the vocalist mixed soft, tuneful melodies with the odd passionate scream to inject emotion into Gaucho's music. The songs used straight forward structures but with the booming drums and bass smashing them forward and the guitars cutting in and out with sharp, powerful jabs, it builds slowly into big atmospheric and flowing music. They seem very at ease on stage and without jumping around or having over-energetic stage antics, they still reveal in a relaxed and confident performance. The flowing bass really holds the songs down and with the tight and varied drumming, this music also shows some 80's rock influence. They also know how to breakdown well into some funky and emotional instrumental breaks, adding dynamic to their catchy sound. The crowd wasn't huge when Gaucho played their set but this heavy yet tuneful mix of grunge and stadium rock, got the small audience fired up, ready for the next acts.
Next up Diver carry the night on in not too dissimilar vein, as the heavy drumming crashes down and the dirty, fast and upbeat guitar riffs kick in their is plenty of power in this punkier version of the grunge genre. The guitars interlock well and by mixing up the melodies, break downs and tempos, they have good dynamic. With a consistantly catchy and upbeat feel, Diver have a sound not too different to the Foo Fighters but with a rawer vocal style that verges on punk at times. The lead guitarist uses his effects really well and his flowing riffs mix brilliantly with the other instruments to really help build Diver's music into powerful and emotional songs. The bass is really beefy as well and their is masses of 'umph' to their sound, with the tight drummer mixing his beats up to really hammer the tumes into your skull. This band had a really in-your-face, catchy and powerful edge for a grunge band and stood out with a very tight performance, this mixed with the fact all their songs were ridden with an upbeat energy made Diver look like a really professional and powerful act.
After 2 fairly powerful, beefy grunge bands, Last Orders take the stage for something a little different. With a energetic and fun sound these guys mix a host of influences to create a weird yet interesting style. The guitars mix riffs and simple break downs to create bluesy rock 'n' roll that has a punky and funky edge. The band aren't always that tight and at times sound a little sketchy but with a really charismatic frontman who not only has a strong vocal but interacts really well with the audience, they are good to watch. The songs are based around simple yet catchy melodies and with big vocal hooks and funky injections of lead work, this is very catchy and fun drinking punk. The lyrics are a bit dodgy at times but the point in this music is to provide a party atmosphere and get people smiling and dancing and it certainly acheives this. With such a fun and upbeat feel to their music and a good stage presence, Last Orders are the sort of band who I am sure will always be good to see live and with a frontman who would give Jack Black a good run in the charisma stakes, they certainly keep the electric atmosphere alive.
Finally to finish off what has been a really good show of powerful and atmospheirc rock, we have Made In The 80s. Using prominant walking basslines, funky and fast guitar riffs and some driving rock n roll drumming, this band have a really great sound. There is certainly a bluesy element to their sound, and this mixed with the great dynamics of the guitar and a harder garage edge, give Made In The 80s quite an original feel. The songs have good energy and flow really naturally. The vocal patterns are very diverse and with a blues undercurrent and a emotional grungy kick, they have masses of feeling. Made In The 80s also showed some experimental touches, using bongos and interesting bass and drum patterns to drive their songs and give them a original twist. The thing that really impressed us though was the flowing feel to their music, the vocalist had a really soulful voice and the music seemed to flow from the band like water from a tap. Not many bands these days seem to do this and at times the vocal style really had a 'Hendrix' feel to it. Groovy, soulful, flowing rock n roll with a blues edge and plenty of emotion and feeling. All in all a great end to a excellent nights entertainment.
Review – Gaz
