The Sheffield Scenester

was really looking forward to this night as I can barely remember the last time I saw Pistola Kicks, and since tonight was their debut single launch, a visit was long overdue! Walking in, my first pleasant surprise of the evening was in seeing Dead Dolls up in the DJ booth, usually I’m used to seeing them as a duet, namely Jodie and Danielle, down at SOYO on Monday nights but tonight they had a third party with them, Charlotte, who I remember from my first encounter with them down at the O2. Of course they never fail to disappoint when it comes to music and general party shenanigans, so tonight, was no different as the likes of Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Kinks and Joy Division blasted out through the PA.

But tonight I was here for the live music, quality DJ-ing was just a bonus, and the first band I caught was Velvet Rising, a whole new experience for me but as it turned out quite an eye opener! With heavy ponderous guitars, and drums to die for, they ground out some seriously skull crushing epics, beginning with the blatantly titled ‘Intro’ which pretty much set the tone for the rest of their set. This took them straight into ‘Slope Up’ which gave us a taste of singer Josh’s abilities, did he live up to the standards set by the rest of the band, in one word....YES! Belting out vocals like he was raised on hard core power rock Josh slotted in perfectly with the bands all out, balls to the wall riffs. Plus, and this is always a bonus he had a mean line in banter, even though he did ask someone to batter me albeit with a wink and a smile, I’m guessing he was slightly camera shy. The crowd, which was pretty big at this point enjoyed it all the same and stood there totally transfixed or those more familiar with the totally awesome grinding guitars and pummelling drums had started swaying along from the opening chords. All in all, I’m more than happy to say it was flawless performance culminating in the show stopping ‘Lifes Vision’, a huge track that built and built in tempo, attitude and all out ferocity, despite that it was outstanding talent on display and not one person in the room could argue that fact!

With the room still full and Dead Dolls pumping out all manner of great tunes it soon came round for Pistola kicks to hit the stage. First the house lights went down, then a few stage lights began darting about the room just as the opening theme to Pulp Fiction screamed across the room. Joe(guitar/vocals), Jamie(bass) and Ed(drums) mounted the stage and immediately opened with the track ‘A Button Like No Other’, one of our favourites from their early EP. High on energy, packed with razor sharp riffs and a good solid bass that has ‘dance and stomp’ plastered all over it, they tore through their set as if their lives depended on it, meanwhile at the back a torrent of skin smacking drums combined to produce the perfect package of beat, rhythm and style. The fact that they’d brought a film crew along with them may have had something to do with it, but tonight these guys were tight and on the money, they knew it and the crowd knew it, the fact that they were pushing up against the stage was testament to that! Obviously they played both tracks off their single, ‘Proceed Advance’ as well as ‘Lazy Boy Hurricane’, both of which seem to have taken their music in a more subtle and mature direction, along with older tracks like the thunderous ‘Head In The Sand’. But it was the encore track of ‘Friday Nights’ that really sent the crowd through the roof, and yet again Dead Dolls managed to squeeze their way through to the front to dance along, it may have a bit of a slow start but when it gets going, it really gets going and the crowd just went with it!

Hell of a night, with two contrasting bands that both pulled out all the stops to produce outstanding sets, of course not forgetting Dead Dolls contribution to the night’s entertainment, excellent!

Words & Photos by Geoff Buckthorpe