The Sheffield Scenester

Broken Weekends casually walked onto the Academy 2 stage and had a bit of a jam to the music being played over the PA before drifting into a cover of the Kooks, 'Always Where I Need to Be'. Singer, Sam Holden introduced the second song in the set, 'Tonight's the Night', after pointing out that this was their first gig at the Academy. The crowd was quite small at that point due to the early start, but it didn't seem to bother the band at all.

'Jamie Protractor' is an interesting song - groovy drums, confident vocals and impressive twin guitar work from Alex Marsden and Luke Wood. Throwing in a bit of Arctic Monkeys was bound to go down well, and the old-school Kings of Leon track, 'Molly's Chamber' was full of enthusiasm. Sam mentioned the band had a new song they hadn't played before, 'Final Round', and he wanted to know what we thought. I can't speak for everyone of course, but I was impressed because it was a really solid rock tune. The boxing connotation reminded me of the Rocky movies and I thought that was cool. If this is a sign of what Broken Weekends are capable of, I doubt it will be too long before they build up their own repertoire and drop the cover songs. It was a pity they had to bring the set to a close, just as the audience were getting into it and actually called for them to play one more song. Certainly a bright Academy debut from the young band and I'm sure they'll be playing Soundclash again soon.

The room began to fill up just as Shamble Street started their set and I anticipated that their feel-good, semi-acoustic sounds would be well received.

Shamble Street remind me a bit of Stereophonics - energetic and kind of fun. All four members of the band look as though they've been playing together for many years, such is their unity. No doubt they put plenty of effort into it, yet they make it look effortless. Singer, Tom Scurr's high-spirited vocals work with his lively guitar, and lead guitarist, Tom Hardy compliments this very well. 'Two Strangers' was a highlight for me and the lyric about, "Rain that makes our bodies itch" made me smile.

By the time they finished, everyone in the room was nodding along whilst talking to their mates and having a drink, even if they didn't quite realise it. That's the mark of a good sound. Very well played!

I hadn't heard Sleepwalker before and wasn't sure what to expect. I'd read a few reviews comparing their sound to that of Muse, which was evident in their effects-laden instrumental opener.

A good number of the audience moved to the front of the stage at that point which is always a positive sign, but what came next threw me a bit. To my ears at least, a lot of the songs seemed disjointed and their overall sound sort of downbeat compared to the two previous bands. Obviously, with the intention of reviewing the performance, I was making notes as I went along. I may be wrong but I can't recall singer, Jack Greenwood actually mentioning any song titles. The good thing about Soundclash events is that they're a perfect opportunity to show what you can do and introduce yourselves to a wider audience in the process. For example, friends and family of Broken Weekends will have now discovered the music of Shamble Street, and so on. With that in mind, not introducing the songs was a big mistake because it doesn't aid people in remembering them. Hampered by what seemed like a poor vocal sound from the back, I don't suppose this helped. The band have talent and the potential was evident, yet people seemed to lose interest and the set sort of stumbled to an end. Maybe it was the wrong audience on this particular evening. Perhaps I'll have to check them out another time.

Waiting for Kartica to appear, I moved to the front of the stage. I've seen them play a few times before and always been impressed. Influenced by iconic bands such as The Beatles, The Stone Roses and Oasis, they're trying to make their way in a music scene which would probably be too quick to make the geographical connection with Arctic Monkeys. Perhaps Kartica's biggest task is to prove that they can make it with their own sound. With that in mind, I was somewhat amused by how the band just happened to walk on stage to the Oasis track, 'Acquiesce'.

Singer, Mathew Hook swaggered towards his microphone with a confidence suggesting that the bands first headline show at the Academy would be something big. Opening with, 'Navigate', all five members seemed so happy to be there. Guitarist, Joe Troughton had the biggest smile of the lot and it lasted the entire show. "I figured we might as well enjoy it!", remarked Joe afterwards. 'Navigate' is probably my favourite track, it's really catchy. In fact, I was singing this one on the way home as I was eating a take-away pizza!

'Gone Astray' is just as captivating and Mathew's intense vocals suit the guitars perfectly. To me, this is when the influence of Oasis is most evident, but the important thing to note is that Kartica are putting their own spin on it. That's why the room was full and everyone was into it. It's new and fresh. The lyric, "I carry nothing / My only weapons are words" catches our attention, as Mathew gives the impression he'd sooner outwit you than get into a scrap. Can't fault that.

'Back in My Seat' is an altogether more relaxed affair but it's just as catchy. 'Show Stop Style' has a more delicate melody which allows drummer, Lewis Eshelby to show us what he can do as the drum fills keep things rolling along nicely.

Guitarist, Adam Clay was singing along to all the songs, looking care-free stood at the side of stage and making it seem to easy. By contrast, bassist, Paul Nicholson was a picture of concentration at the back, working in unison with Lewis.
They were all definitely in a party mood and this was enhanced when the stage lights went up. They were seemingly surprised by the number of people in attendance and amused that all their mates were at the front. The crowds are surely getting bigger so this is something they'll be seeing a lot more of. Adding new material as they go will only help the cause and, 'Go Your Own Way' fits in well. Handing out demos and thanking the audience as they left the stage to a big round of applause, Joe mentioned upcoming gigs and said we should all come along for the ride. If this was anything to go by, I'm there!

Words by Paul Handley
Photos by Liam Farrelly