Sonic Boom Six, Leeds Packhorse
I’m always a little weary of charity gigs as in my experience they turn out to be rather disappointing in that they end up being either a complete farce or just an empty high-school hall with a teacher super-group banging out BON JOVI covers. So after a six and a half hour crawl up the never-ending tarmac nightmare that is the M1 I wasn’t really in the mood for a bad show. I was in luck however, as it turned out to be a bloody amazing night.
Suburban London’s SHORT WARNING set the pace for the night with their blend of hook laden melodies over a speedy skate punk backdrop. For a three piece band I am impressed by how well they compensate as a live act; as a constant barrage of double time drumming, frantic bass work and aggressive guitar playing pounded me for the duration of their set without sounding bare or patchy at all. In a time where punk has become a serious business, it’s always refreshing to see bands having fun whilst playing. SW looked like they were really enjoying playing and from where I was standing it radiated to the rest of crowd as well. On the whole I really enjoyed their performance tonight and it looked like it was a shared feeling amongst most in the crowd. (7)
Wakefield’s finest, MILK 2 SUGARS were up next and slowed things right down to slow ska/reggae infused groove. After the ska explosion of a couple of years ago, it seems that every town in the country has a bland RBF rip-off band tasting worse than a shit sandwich and at best, incapable of playing anything the right side of mediocre, but M2S easily distance themselves from that crowd. For a start they are clearly competent musicians, and in a multi membered brass driven band this is always a valuable tool. They got the majority of the crowd dancing along with ease and their confidence on stage really beamed out and set up a really nice atmosphere for the almost full capacity venue. Some cheesy ska is always a treat if it’s played well and M2S certainly did just that, the crowd lapped up every second. (7)
SONIC BOOM SIX. Wow. I haven’t been this blown away for a while, and I certainly didn’t expect to see a small skank pit in the tiny and somewhat sedate venue but SB6 really worked things up to a climax an actress in a Herbal Essences shampoo advert would be proud of. SB6 are a right mixed bag, and with a host of influences and sounds so broad and varying it’s rare to see it pulled off at all, let alone so naturally and with stacks of energy and enthusiasm. SB6’s three way vocals, although all different in their sound, work magically together and along with killer riffs and diverse rhythms they claimed the night as their own and rightfully so. I have a feeling this band is going to explode this year, be warned. (9)
Three excellent bands, a really awesome atmosphere and over £200 raised for charity; can’t get much better than that in all fairness; a really fantastic night.
Mike
Options:»
Gig Reviews Index
