Primarily I went to this gig to catch the first band on, Seratone, who, according to their press release, are 2 girls, 2 guys and a drum machine. I've heard initial rough 4 track recordings of 5 of their songs, and was impressed enough by it. So off I went.
Well, me being me, I managed to miss the first few songs, arriving in time to catch the second half of the set. As a result, all the tracks appeared to be new ones which the band hope to record soon for their first demo 'proper'.
Pleased to say though, that on initial listen, the new material sounds just as good as the more familiar. If I were to try and label, or place a description, well, unfortunately it's probably a fact that they will get labelled as Britrock, which tends to be much too common a tag. There are times when I figure I can hear a little Nirvana, some NOFX and early Therapy? But with the band citing influences from The Prodigy, to Tool, to Faith No More and others, then there's scope for more than Britrock has to offer.
The last track tonight, given the performance of the drum machine, had a little industrial tinge. But what sets them apart is that Gemma (lead vocals) and Nicky (bass) share the vocals. It's a little twist that is enough just to make them standout as being different, and at the end of the day, if you're going to be placed into the pool of bands known as Britrock, something to enable you to standout is what is required.
Oh yeah, and the fact that the songs are good. Looking for criticism, well, for my money, a little more energy wouldn't go amiss. But there again, when you're playing to what is probably mainly your friends, and an empty dancefloor, energy is something that is probably pretty hard to conjure up. But given time, it's a flaw that can be overcome. And besides, that's just my own personal taste in what I want from bands.
As I mentioned, they were first band on, but to be honest, they wiped the floor with the other 2. Not really my cup of remix. And there are times when if you can't really say too much confidently, then don't say anything at all. So I won't.
When I get more details on the demo and its availability, then I'll probably put them here, but for now, the best source is the band, so check out their web page for more information.
or contact them Contact: 101 Bentinck Road, Elswick, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 6UX. Nicky - 0191 236 2276, Chris - 0191 272 1535