 | | Scaramanga Six (photo: Ged Camera) |
First up are the Scaramanga Six, promoting their new release, Cabin Fever. With Bristolian roots and a Leeds heritage, they plunder a similarly diverse musical lineage that includes the more commercial elements of Whitesnake, allied with the typical punkish vibrancy of the Dammed. Julia Arnez fires off some fancy fretwork which allows the be-suited Morricone brothers, Steve and Paul, to despatch some humour laden epithets. As they say on Soul Destroyer, "Glad you can join me on another pointless journey", but, hey, it was fun!
 | | Geisha (photo: Ged Camera) |
Geisha lead an onslaught on the ears. Saying that their songs have a structure would be akin to asserting that an amoeba has a spine. There is a ferocity and intensity to this three piece that makes you wonder how they would react if they didn't have a musical outlet for their ardent passions. Axe murder, maybe? Their distortion and feedback blocks out all free thought within a 100 metre radius, as it disrupts all normal brain patterns, preventing adjacent neurons from communicating.
 | | Big Joan (photo: Ged Camera) |
Suddenly, there's a dustbin on the stage and the crowd think it's all over. Honest. Final band Big Joan have brought an empty bin with them and before long it is being pummelled to augment the raw edged passion emanating from the band. Front woman and vocalist Annette Berlin is the listener’s focus of attention, and she commands the mini-stage with piercing eyes and a gaze that demands that you pay attention or the consequences will not be enjoyable if you don't. So we do, and thankfully, it’s worth it. |
