Once a month, the Tea Time Shuffle uses the supercool r&b/jazz venue HiFi Club in Leeds to put on an early doors parade of half a dozen top bands. So, straight from work to the gig, and the prospect of parties and clubs thereafter. Only for the young and the strong, obviously.
Tonight, THE SCARAMANGA SIX, SUNWAY and THE NERVOUIS SHAKEDOWN also played (see separate review)
THE BUTTERFLY are relatively new arrivals on the Leeds scene. Noting the bi-weekly raising of the city's artistic bar, they've wisely decided to come in as steroid munching championship contenders as step one. James Cameron (I discover later) is drumming with two of his fingers broken. Hence the tears of joy he's weeping by the end of the set.
Jack Carter, guitar and lead vocals, stands tall and Franz Ferdinandish with his black shirt and red tie. His commanding pose, stylish spectacles and great voice make it OK when he does piercing shrieks, guitar picking behind his head and diving off into the audience making animal noises, pursued by a voice-morphing didgeridoo playing bass player. Matt Jennings, guitar and synthesiser, contents himself with quality musicianship and the elaborate Theo Campbell decorates the stage with bass, vocals and advertising-account-manager-with-Motorhead-tendency-stylings. They do make a picture. Imposing is only half of it.
The really good thing about them is the fiercely good music. The songs sound organised and distinctive, the playing is sharp as knives and even on first acquaintance their sound stands apart and recognisably their own. My notes say something illegible about Tom Tom Club and Slayer. Others in the audience suggest similarly impossible combinations (Joe Jackson and Motorhead?) as I look round in a helpless way for cultural guidance. What we mean is that they have 80s dance rhythms and intellectual savvy alongside an instinct for the demonic rhapsody of thunderous metal. It certainly swerves about. Sometimes it stops, puts its head up like a startled marmoset and rushes off into the bushes to turn the generator back on for more rumbling noise. They even do a glorious Pink Floyd reconstruction section. I decide to keep a close eye on their next moves.
|
THE RENT are a nine or ten piece Bradford-based extravangza based around Dan, the singing, acoustic guitar playing, writing demon at the front. Two more guitars, three singers, a drummer or two (with samples) , a bass and very classy keyboards make up the full complement. On record there's more yet.
The singing in particular works very well tonight. Up to six voices are brought in, and the girls' chorus is strong and tuneful (yeh they look great, but for a change they actually sound good too). I'm not sure how much the workmanlike songs need three guitars plus all the rest – but once they're up on stage they might as well join in. It certainly makes for a grand spectacle and the resident Leeds audience is as enthusiastic as the visiting Bradford crowd. THE RENT are the sort of band where some familiarity with the songs would help enjoyment of the show. My head is spinning in an attempt to take it all in.
Equally Bradford, THE TOUCH go to the other extreme. Recently slimmed down from four to three members, they work as a drums and bass vehicle for guitarist and singer George Quinn. George does a bouncing, duck walking, shuffling reincarnation of boogie blues soloists from Rory Gallagher to Ryan Spendlove. Jason Winder drums with fantastic energy and presence and Andy Kniveton knocks out a full rich bass. Each song lives on its own familiar-sounding but rip-roaring riff and George is completely convincing as the ordinary-bloke in a suit vocalist. The only duff moment is a Jack White style solo outing into a minor key thing performed on the dance floor. THE TOUCH are very good value, and hold things together well as the fifth band on when the audience are getting twitchy to hear the headlining SCARAMANGA SIX.
|
