The Sheffield Scenester

As we entered the upstairs of the 02, the ‘Fris-Hodg’ DJ set was banging out some ace tunes to liven up the quiet start of tonight’s Soundclash...but with another enticing gig going on at the Leadmill and it being another warm day...the quiet start was pretty much expected really.

Naked Potato was the first to take to the stage...and after Rachel’s slight mishap with her guitar (she dropped it!); they kicked off with ‘Medicinal Compound’...which had a very captivating tune. However, I think Georgina was lacking some confidence and needed to sing a little louder to carry the tune better. The drummer (Jake) delivered a good solid driving beat which encouraged the crowd present to tap their feet and nod their heads accordingly, and Rachel played a brilliant guitar solo which impressed the crowd and made her smile in an accomplished way. Their second song ‘New Shiznic’ gave us short, sharp riffs which gave a Faders feel to their sound, and the confidence in Georgina had improved no end, so all in all a much better sound. Their third song was so new it hasn’t even been named yet...it had a quite a scuzzy guitar effect which really made the song very listenable. Their track ‘Summer Breeze’ had a good catchy tune; thanks to the tambourine! The crowd was very appreciative and obviously had some of their family and friends watching, who kept shouting out encouraging comments as the set progressed. Their most popular track came in the guise of ‘Chips & Gravy’...the energy from the small crowd was infectious, which helped the band to start enjoying themselves a little more. Their last track ‘Foreign Bird League’ had an unusual title and a mixture of styles...I heard a hint of Ska...Franz Ferdinand...Lily Allen. This was my favourite song which finished the set on a high.

As a few more people arrived it was time for Searching 4 Evidence, who we’ve reviewed quite a few times. Their opening track ‘Walking Disaster’ always has a great drum intro courtesy of Kierran, which then is accompanied by some rockin’ guitar riffs. Lewis’s vocal sort of hovers above the music with the sound and attitude of someone 10 years his senior; with a ‘matter of fact’ sound which tells the story of the ‘walking disaster’ through song. Next up was the multi layered track ‘Time’, which gives more of a Rock & Roll resonance mixed with a futuristic dancy under sound with a faster tempo ...and with their band name being the opening lyrics, this really captures the attention of the crowd instantly, with no question of who’s playing! I personally think this should be the opening track to their set! With a more intricate melodic guitar it was time for ‘Running’ with a hint of the Kooks in the vocal, it’s a great tune to sing a long too...and that’s what the audience did! The lyrics on ‘Get Out’ are just brilliant, and remind me of something Little Man Tate might have once wrote ...and with a Clash influence musically, this track is appreciated by so many age groups....great achievement! ‘Silly Little Girl’ which had a playful tune to begin with, is the one which underlines their age in my opinion...and that’s not a criticism...they are still very young, so writing a song which depicts this is not a bad thing...it’s good that a band can stay in tune with their age group, and at times branch out to others. Their next track was a new one called ‘Vulnerable’, with some amazing thrashing guitar and drum skills; the song also had pauses too which added to the dramatic effect...this track promises to be yet another masterpiece. Their set was now coming to the end...so it was time for their ultimate crowd pleasers... ‘Girl At The Spar’ which encouraged the crowd to enthusiastically clap their hands over their heads and ‘Walk Of Shame’ which has the most infectious singable chorus...you couldn’t help but sing along to it! This was an amazing set, with something for everyone...and yet again the boys prove they are a force to be reckoned with...headlining their own gig in a big venue is not too far away!

It was Dead Delta’s turn to take to the stage as the lights dimmed to suggest a more serious proposition...it was great to see Tom back on drums as stand in (while Dead Delta yet again search for that elusive new drummer). I have to say Tom opened the set as though he’d never left the band...the initial energy from the back which accompanies the bands over all sound tremendously was present yet again...maybe it’s something the band has missed recently...?! However...whether that’s true or not, their steadfast Blues infused Rock trade mark is still a crowd puller because it was now the busiest it’s been all night in the upstairs of the 02 academy...and it’s quite funny how their reputation seems to be way ahead of them; even before their set, I heard people comparing them to The Rolling Stones...Mick Jagger...and 70’s Rock!! Their opening track ‘Be Mine’ seemed to instantly explode into a barrage of riffs that’s enough to make your hair curl instantly! As you watch Danny Monfredi wrestle his guitar into submission...you know you’re in for an uncompromising set of unbridled sound. Joe’s vocal moving from ‘haunting’ to classic rock to sometimes downright gravelly shows versatility in his vocal range. With the set mainly full of their classic and usual crowd pleasers, which I enjoy....however it was good to hear some newer material; after all a band with this amount of talent needs to keep their set fresh and impressive...so more of that please! However saying that...I wouldn’t want the lads to compromise their integrity or talent and churn out ‘half-baked’ songs just to say they’ve got something new at every gig. It’s obvious the songs they write are created to a high standard with ‘blood, sweat and tears’ and they definitely don’t accept second best. My favourite track of the set was ‘Trouble, Why You come Around’ with its manic beginning which smoothes out into a softer resonance, then onto a very Country Rock style of sound...it’s a real feast for your ears with Joe’s vocal showing even more versatility! Their set finished with the classic ‘Gaslight’, which received the loudest applause and cheers of the night so far....another great set!

Now it was time for another one of my ultimate favourite bands...Driftrun. As their set started with ‘Addiction’, Gilly performed his trademark acidic dance to the tune in an energetic fashion, which was certainly addictive and encouraged some dancing in the crowd! This was a great start and instantly captivated the crowd as the stage front became full. I’ve been really impressed with the evolution of Driftrun’s sound recently; they’ve obviously been working hard on getting it just right....and because most of their fans have now become a little more familiar with their newer songs, the gig atmosphere has moved up a notch....and it has to be said...I’m still waiting for a combination of everything on a brilliant LP (hint hint!), when I do get my hands on such a precious item...I imagine it will be worn out after a week! One of my favourites of the set was ‘Distance’ with its amazing atmospheric start, this really show cases the talents of everyone. It was interesting to have ‘Marching with the Enemy’ in the middle of the set as opposed to the beginning....apart from cooling everyone down by throwing a bottle of water over the front row, the cheers just seemed to get louder as the first notes of the track started to reverberate from the stage.....then more dancing ensued! Another favourite of mine (who am I kidding..? they are all my favourites!!!) is ‘L.S.D’ with yet another entrancing rock infused dance beat, it just goes to show these lads have got the recipe for musical success just right....and with the band pretty much at full throttle...the crowd couldn’t get enough, especially with their participation with the chorus of the enigmatic ‘One Way To Paris’. Unfortunately, ‘all good things must come to an end’, so it was now time for the set to come to end with ‘Early Warning’...it was good to see ‘Martin The Megaphone’ making an appearance yet again as the distorted ringing and riffy guitars plough through this marathon of a song...the lyric’s are so singable and to be honest they also get your imagination flowing too.... “I should have learnt to dance in the rain...” a simple sentence which makes you wanna do just that. It has to be said... another excellent gig from a great band.

Another success for Soundclash.....however you’ll have to wait until 16/17th of July for the next Soundclash weekend, it’s on a break for the world cup!

Words & Photography Gail Buckthorpe
Further Photography (with special thanks to) Amy Rodgers