As a PR exercise, you really couldn't fault this. Put a band that is getting a lot of coverage in the UK, on for 2 quid, and throw in a free CD single or 12 inch single for punters. Get to see them in the close quarters of the smaller disco 2 area of Rock City. PR to the max.
Unfortunately, more than good PR is required to make a band worthwhile and exciting, and this is the area that for me, Gravity Kills fell down on. Yeah, they've heard the NIN comparison before, and from many more important people than me, and it won't stop them. But for someone who tolerates NIN rather than embraces them wanting their babies or anything, then you just end up think, hmmm, NIN nails without the songs. At least listening to the CD. Live it'll be different, right.
Er, bzzzt. Nope. I haven't seen NIN so I can't compare the live performance, but, what I can say is that substance over style didn't stick out. Sure, they've got keyboard blokey in silly hat and a keyboard that he can push out in all sort of angles, and for a few minutes it grabs the attention. Then you start waiting for the songs to kick in instead. Still, maybe the guitarist will grab the attention. Well, it was a thought wasn't it. So you return to the songs. And wait, there may well have been one then. Damn, missed it. And that's the feeling throughout. There are a few songs where you feel that there is something there, but for the most part, it seems to be fairly bog standard fare. The acoustic interlude makes a change in the industrio/techno show of things. But just makes you think that if this was an 'unfashionable heavy metal' band instead of a 'techno so it must be exciting' band, then it would be called pretensious and self indulgent instead of novel.
Disappointing is the word to sum it up. Like when singer blokey went for a stroll along the bar top, you think, ok, he's going to liven it up, sing from the crowd, confront. But instead he just gets down and walks back around the side and up onto the stage. Disappointing.
But who am I to complain right. 2 pounds to see a gig. Can't go wrong. Well, no, generally you can't go wrong, except for when it's for a hyped band who, IMHO, just don't match the hype at the moment.