The Sheffield Scenester

This was the second Soundclash of the weekend, even though it didn’t seem to be as busy as the previous night’s gig (maybe one band having to cancel, had an effect on the overall numbers), it still promised to be another good mix of music.

Stripey Jack took to the stage with generous applause and opened the night’s soundclash. These lads are still young, but have been playing live since 2006. I love their sound and I like the skill of lead guitarist Joe Shaw in particular, however I don’t think Ryan Young had a good start - he seemed to miss so many opportunities at the beginning to inject energy into the set, especially during their 2nd song ‘Anthem’ – and that song screams for energy. The crowd however were very supportive and applauded loudly, which helped to infuse more confidence into Ryan’s performance. I have to say their best track was ‘Night In November’ which was dedicated to a friend; even though it began with a slight mistake...it seemed to inject the energy which was lacking earlier in the set, Ryan sounded better and even the other guitarists (bass/rhythm) stopped looking bored. The crowd’s ultimate favourite was ‘Cat Out The Bag’ which encouraged some cheers and head nodding, and their last song ‘Sweep Her off Her Feet’ really show cased Joe Shaw’s skill immensely. I know this band has performed better...but tonight...it felt like something was missing.

The Hope Explosion were the next band up and opened to quite a small gathering (most of the younger revellers had disappeared when Stripey Jack left the stage - leaving a more mature crowd). However as they opened with the brilliant ‘The Stress Of The Scandal’ it encouraged most of them to return! This band has a drummer and two guitarists – but no bassist!? Which works for White Stripes...so why not? Their sound is very unique; especially with my personal favourite ‘Pin Down The Detail’ the intro being a futuristic spiralling guitar sound, which then changes slightly as a military drum beat kicks in to add yet another dimension – making this track a wonderful feast for your ears. The talent in this band is obvious, as each song is presented with confidence and clarity. I suppose really you could compare the band to Muse, especially when the sound and lighting ambience is combined so well together. The Hope Explosion are a good band and I’m sure we will be hearing from them again pretty soon.

The Unfortunate Incident nearly had an unfortunate incident....Russ Palmer wasn’t feeling well and had a vomit bowl on stage with him...just in case! The set still kicked off to a cheery crowd with ‘Fool’, and quite frankly you wouldn’t have known Russ had been unwell all day, he sang with as much enthusiasm as he usually does...the bowl and the possibility of him actually throwing up did become a bit of a running joke/point of interest throughout the set. Considering his ‘delicate state’ Russ still had a great bond with the crowd and the set was filled with the usual anecdotes. I have to say, I love The Unfortunate Incident’s harmonies - which were on top form tonight. Their songs are thought provoking with brilliant lyrics and humour, which is definitely a winning formula. During their namesake last song, Russ lost his glasses and fell to the floor...I did wonder if it was time to see the contents of his stomach...but no...even though Russ was visibly starting to ‘flag’, he managed to scrape even more energy together and joined in with the encore, to give everyone a fabulous finale.

Even with one band down and a poorly headliner...it was still a good night.

Words & Photos by Gail and Geoff Buckthorpe