Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in May 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
WiserVice / Emptifish / Autons /Carmen Rosa / The Aviators
@ Portsmouth Guildhall, 12th May 2007
I have to confess that despite being very much a Southerner, I don’t know a lot about the local music scene. My iPod has a Northern accent. I have been known to travel to Leeds and Sheffield to see bands. I refuse Yorkshire Tea though, on the grounds that it's not very nice. Er, anyway, these 'Best Of' showcases are a great idea to bring attention to a few of the overlooked bands in the area. Five bands for about eight quid; not bad, not bad at all.
The Aviators sound like a mix of the Stereophonics, the Hollies and Oasis, but with much more life and energy to them. They suggest starting a mosh pit with just two men in the middle punching each other, before the singer realises they’re waffling and sheepishly announces “I’m going to shut up now.” Their songs have long, rock star endings which make everyone clap, thinking it’s finished, then they continue for a few more bars, making the audience look embarrassed. A solid start to the night.
Next is Carmen Rosa. Despite the slightly feminine name, this band is All Man. (Like All Bran, but with less fibre and more nuts). My first impression was that they were an even mellower Dodgy. The band appears too cool to move much and the lead singer is all in white and looks like an icicle. It’s laidback with occasional swirls of psychedelia. You could imagine lying on your lawn in the summer and listening to this. However it did occasionally turn into experimental sounding jams which tend to be fun for the musicians but a little hard going for the audience.
The music between bands is your typical commercial indie disco, which tonight includes Bloc Party ‘Helicopter’, The Maccabees ‘First Love’ and even some, er, Razorlight, which suggests the organisers are trying to appeal to the guitar music fans of all ages rather than just your indie cindies.
The next band is introduced as the greatest band in the world ever, which is enough to make you grit your teeth and aim your plastic cup at the stage. Autons have had a track as runner up on John Peel’s Festive Fifty, which instantly sends their street cred rocketing. It’s a change of direction from the guitar-based bands, with electro fun sometimes delving into techno and teetering on the brink of the Doctor Who theme tune but without becoming too embarrassingly nerdy. The keyboardist on the far right is moving like the Young Knives’ House of Lords after an overdose of Sunny Delight. Very entertaining, and they’ve become my new favourite Southern band for their different performance and style.
Emptifish weren’t quite what I was expecting. The crowd was at its largest, with some people having travelled all the way from the Isle of Wight (I say ‘all the way’; it’s about 15 minutes on the ferry actually) to see them. It turns out the band are something of a local establishment, having been going for some 20 years, and another lot laying claim to being the greatest band in the world ever, which I wish people would stop doing.
They play punky bluesy tunes, with everyone sharply dressed in suits and wearing shades, suggesting one of them watched ‘The Blues Brothers’ one too many times. They have a classic style and a calm, mature stage presence. A few members of the crowd keep jumping up on stage to dance, although by the looks of things they once watched the band play in the late 1980s and this is the first time they’ve danced since. Even some of the band’s kids get on stage to dance. It all looks like one big happy gathering of friends, but I feel a stranger and univited to the party. Cool music though.
The last band on are WiserVice, and the crowd has completely dissipated. The singer admits it’s not unexpected. I thought it was a slightly odd stage order; if Emptifish are so popular why put them on halfway through the night? Singer Ochs lopes around the stage, rapping and singing to the smooth reggae-ish tones of the band. It’s actually quite soft and a good wind down act. The singer says ‘bodacious’ which made me think he’s not quite as cool as he believes he is, but he had good stage presence despite limiting himself to a centre circle so he didn’t trip over the wires like usual. They sound influenced by the hip hop of the Beastie Boys, with plenty of vinyl scratching (nooo!) yet smooth vocals.
All in all it was a pretty good night for Portsmouth bands, and although I don’t think my iPod will lose its Northern twang it’s reassuring to know there is some decent talent in the area.
WiserVice
Emptifish
Autons
Carmen Rosa
The Aviators
Portsmouth Scene Promotions
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Duke Special / Beth Rowley
@ The Brook, Southampton, 11th May 2007
Every city has those venues which people dread because there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to park. I’ve managed to somehow park up a steep side road near The Brook in Southampton and am splashing through surprisingly cold puddles as I stalk towards the venue, all the time worrying whether my handbrake is on properly or if I’ll return to find my car taking refuge from the weather in the chip shop at the bottom of the hill.
Duke Special is on tonight at The Brook. The venue is curious in the crowd it attracts; half youthful (and loud) students and half mature couples in sensible cardigans.
Support tonight is from the charming Beth Rowley, a thin wisp of a singer whose curly hair looks almost enough to unbalance her and send her tumbling from the stage. She’s backed by two large gospel singers, and together they perform graceful soul harmonies.
Occasionally Rowley converses with saxophonist Ben Castle, him playing certain notes and her singing them back. The girls sometimes start clapping along and it looks like they’re hoping the crowd will join in, but sadly they thought wrong. One particular line ‘I can’t get enough of my cloud’ seems to stick in my head above anything else. The music is beautiful and Rowley has a perfect voice, but I'm not sure I can seem them playing bigger gigs in the near future because they seem too well-suited for intimate venues.
In between acts, it’s time for me to perform the one-handed coat strip. As a lone gig-goer I have to juggle my drink, bag, coat and phone, slopping lemonade all over the floor in the process, but thankfully missing my feet.
Duke Special and band take to the stage one by one, many of them clad in almost Libertine and funereal black jackets. Frontman Peter Wilson has his dreadlocks tied messily away from his face and takes his spot at the piano, repeating ‘This happiness is out of control’ as he gazes up to the balcony with black-ringed eyes.
He’s got a good sense of humour which the crowd warms to. “I see from the pictures and the vibe that Steven Seagal played here recently?” he says and asks if anyone was there. No-one admits to it. “That was a shame,” he says with a grin. Comments regarding the departure of Northern Ireland’s football coach aren't so well-received. Wilson is a fantastic songwriter with every tune sounding from the heart and truthful. Each song is a story in different chapters with a curiously retro sound, helped along by instruments such as the accordion, timpani and clarinet. There’s a stool draped in velvet, which gives a slightly old-fashioned feel. Various musicians and Rowley come on and off for each song. A revolving door may have been a good idea.
The drummer seems to be mentally on a slightly different plane to everyone else. He plays too fast by accident then does it again on purpose. “I bet Steven Seagal didn’t have to put up with this!” says Wilson as they try to start again.
Songs tonight include ‘Portrait’, ‘Ballad Of A Broken Man’, ‘Slip Of A Girl’, ‘Everybody Wants A Little Something’, ‘Brixton Leaves’, a delicate version of ‘Freewheel’, and a rousing ‘Last Night I Nearly Died’. They're sweet and heartfelt, leaving the audience spellbound in silence. Steven Seagal makes the odd guest appearance in lyrics, and the final song leaves the band and the audience in stitches as the drummer takes centre stage armed with a whisk and a cheese grater. He then brings out a bizarre instrument made from kitchen implements which he strikes with a spoon, looking like he's about to fall off stage.
There are two encores – people just won’t let them stop. During one of them, Wilson has his eyes half closed as he reaches for the notes when an over-excited audience member cheers. He stops playing in a fit of giggles. The drummer could possibly do with some minor sedatives and being tied to his stool for the duration of the gig, but everyone was laughing away and no-one was embarrassed by his flamboyant behaviour. The humour towards the end sent spirits high and put everyone in a good mood for the drive home.
The songs are poetic and I could quite happily sit and read the lyrics. They are beautifully meaningful rather than throwaway. From the response the crowd gave, I would say Duke Special is welcome back whenever he likes.
Duke Special
Beth Rowley
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