The Sheffield Scenester

We just made it in time to the Boardwalk to see Lord Jester, and I must admit whilst half listening to the beginning of their set and buying my drink from the bar, I did wonder if all the rushing about was worth it. But after getting settled with my drink and understanding the context a lot more...I’m glad I didn’t miss this ‘little golden nugget’....or Bran Flake (this will make sense soon)!? What I will say straight away; is that these lads should have their own show on TV...like The Monkees. They are interesting musicians and they are so entertainingly funny too, and with a different array of musical instruments...you aren’t going to get bored. Their song titles are unusual too, what with one song called ‘Wooooooo’ (I think I’ve spelt it right!?) and another called ‘Bran flakes’, the titles alone will make you want to listen. I have considered who these lads remind me of...and to be honest you need to see them to believe them, but I suppose you could say they are...a mix between Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Bowling For Soup, The Monkees and that Randoms TV advert..?! A good surprise...definitely see these again.

Next up was Michael’s Mistake, this gig apparently being their first. Their confident start with ‘Enemies’ was outstanding and you wouldn’t have known it was their first gig. Another good song called ‘The Way I Feel’ really showed us the extent of their talent. The guitars on ‘Going Crazy’ were exceptionally executed and the vocals from Kay reminded me a little of Avril Lavigne (without the Canadian accent!) I have to say if this is their first gig, then obviously they are going to be good and a band to watch out for next year. Their profile on MySpace says Punk/Punk Pop...well I think it’s more pop than punk...and there’s nothing wrong with that!

It was turning out to be another good night at the Boardwalk, and the entertainment wasn’t over yet...I was really looking forward to The Harringtons, who were the next band up. I’ve seen these lads before and I remember being really impressed with their sound and talent. The Harringtons set started with an excellent track called ‘Echoes’ and I have to say...this band just oozes finesse and I think we should be hearing a lot more from this band. My favourite tracks of the set are ‘Never Be The Same’, ‘The Good Old days’ and ‘Set In Our Ways’ – this band is extremely listenable and their songs are so catchy you can’t help but sing along. The Harringtons have a unique sound, sometimes you can hear a hint of Little Man Tate and Twisted Wheel all rolled into one on some of their tracks, which also gives them a popular edge too.

The Elephant Keys line up has slightly shrunk since the last time I saw them, but that obviously hasn’t spoilt their sound - They were totally on good form tonight and Phil’s vocals was full of clarity too, you could pretty much hear every lyric sang...and that is quite a difficult thing for any soundman to get right since his vocal range goes off the scale usually! To be honest I stopped writing my review notes when they came on stage because they are so amazing to watch and I’ve been playing their EP non-stop since I was given it...so singing along to the tracks was on the agenda as opposed to writing notes! The skill of the band is so clear...Phil dived from one guitar to another and played them as though he was taming a wild thing, Tommy’s keyboard playing is so emotional and as for Mikes drum skill...well that’s just ‘animal’.....

Another excellent night at The Boardwalk.
Words by Gail Buckthorpe
Photos by Geoff Buckthorpe