Billy Talent, Nottingham Rock City
Tonight at Rock City, Canadian rockers with attitude Billy Talent are making their Nottingham debut, and expectations are riding high. Their self-titled first album, already making tsunami-style waves in the UK, has been the almost exclusive listening material in my household for the last month, so I know they’re brilliant. The question is can they possibly live up to the hype playing live?
We’re going to have to wait to find out; first on are the very new, London-based band The Holiday Plan. Matt, Blue, Gary and Daniel seem to have had an amazing run of luck; having been together barely two years, and played a seriously scant amount of gigs, they’ve been scouted by producer Julian Standen (the man behind The Lemonheads and Crackout), and are now playing with bands such as Adrenaline Junkies and Five Knuckle Shuffle. I am deeply suspicious of bands that have not done the traditional paying of their dues by playing for years in depressingly empty old-man pubs, but magnanimously decide to reserve judgement until they have played. After the first song, Blue takes a break, announcing to the audience that he has forgotten to put his earplugs in. There was an unused pair of earplugs in the building?! Well that was a severe waste. The Holiday Plan are not good, to be blunt. Admittedly they have a certain youthful vigour, and once you extract the guitar melody from the general cacophony it is pretty catchy, but the vocals are dire. The lead singer seems to have a real problem deciding what kind of band he’s in, as his voice wobbles precariously between harsh screaming and a hushed whine, and the backing vocalist is about as tuneful as the UK’s last Eurovision entry. They do get a great response from the audience, but as this is an under 18’s gig and the average age seems to be about 13 I’m not sure if they rate THP as a band or are just moshing like maniacs to work off some pubescent rage. Ok, so there’s some potential lurking – Stories is a genuinely good song – but maybe they should think about getting someone in who can really sing, and concentrate on playing their instruments.
From the second Billy Talent burst onto the stage, they just blow the audience away. Describing themselves as “capturing the spirit, attitude and explosiveness that first launched rock’s rebel cause”, the band proceed to bowl with astonishing energy through their songs and round off with charming little Fugazi cover. Although my concentration is divided between watching the band and trying desperately not to stand on the manic 9 year-olds bombing around my knees, nothing can dampen the genius of songs such as Standing in the rain, Lies and the single Try Honesty. Ian and Jon’s solid backing vocals set off Ben’s slightly bizarre singing beautifully, and as he bounces round the stage like “a muppet on speed”, we reflect mistily that here, truly, is a great band, and they are going to be BIG. At the start of the set, Ben fiercely condemned “any critics out there – good, bad, it’s all bullshit. Remember you’re just one fucking opinion, you don’t speak for everyone.” Right, you have been warned. Don’t trust me – go see them yourself.
Lucy Taylor
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