The Sheffield Scenester

I don’t think I’ve ever been to The Cremorne...if I have it would have been a long, long time ago. It’s an odd shaped bar with a lot of character...and frequented by friendly characters too. The live music didn’t actually kick off until a lot later than advertised...but the ambiance was a pleasant one and had a 60’s/70's feel to it thanks to the DJing of Stevlor.

Eventually Avida Dollars kicked off to quite a full Cremorne with ‘100 Jamz’; it was an excellent start with a tuneful, melodic yet foot tappingly good sound...which I must admit I wasn’t really expecting! I’m not sure what I was expecting to be honest; because I’d seen some of the band members previously as Jack and the Beanstalks...I suppose I thought they’d be similarities...but there wasn’t any...for a start Joseph’s vocals reminded me a little of Bryan Ferry’s! Also their music seemed to have a friendlier approach to it too. This is by no means a disappointment; on the contrary, it was a pleasant surprise. Their second track ‘Toronto Titty City’ was a lot faster with great timing...it had an interesting stopping and starting effect, which really demonstrated how in-sync the whole band actually is. When their galloping track ‘Daughter’ came around, it also proved how entertaining this band can be; the antics between Apple and Joseph is quite a double act and makes for an interesting show...especially with the guitar fight! However their next track then showed a different side to their musical talents... ‘They All Eat Windscreen Wipers’ which seemed to showcase their softer side...their brilliant use of percussion really made this song stand out from the rest. Another fascinating song was ‘The Great Catsby’, which is a song about how much Joseph hates Johnny Depp....and I have to say...that’s another reason why people should go and see Avida Dollars, their songs titles and lyrics really make you want to listen...which is always a good start! Their final song ‘Joseph and the Argonauts’ really whipped the crowd up into quite a frenzy, and was by far the most popular song of the set. To be honest (and I wasn’t sure at first) this was definitely a good venue to play in too... because the crowd and band was able to dance together without any boundaries at all, as I looked over the performance area, it was one mass of bodies (and musical instruments!) enjoying every minute of the set.

Next up was The Yell who kicked off with ‘Confusion by Madness’ which continued with a similar racy theme as Avida Dollars, although this had a heavier sound. The one thing that I did instantly notice was the same guitarist playing in both sets....you have to admire James Peacock’s stamina and concentration! The sound and vocals seemed quite a mixture really; I heard a hint of the B52’s and at times what could be Ian Dury influences. The keys emphasised the melodic element of the tracks, which really made the music listenable, and was in direct contrast to the solid sounds of the drum and bass....these just made you want to dance! The vocalist Idle Hans was a very happy chatty fellow (who likes to have a topic to discuss in between songs)...however when Idle mentioned the word ‘topic’ it sort of confused one man (and his dog)...who thought he was talking about chocolate bars! Idle asked the man (who’d been walking across the floor in front of the bands all night with his dog in tow) what his dog was called...apparently the dog was called Tyke...which then begged the question “are you from Barnsley..?” Anyway as the friendly banter went on so did the music. Next was ‘Moth Man’ which had an excellent catchy beat...I nearly joined the gathering at the front of the band and strutted my stuff too! Tonight’s ‘topic’ was the world cup...because Idle then tried to organise a re-enactment of the ‘World In Motion’ video...which again was a funny moment...because instead of John Barnes...he wanted a tribute act called John Barnsley (i.e. someone to rap in a Barnsley accent...I think!)...?! It has to be said...in between the excellently executed tracks...I think its Idle Hans banter which sets this band from the rest, it’s pure entertainment. The best moment of the night went again to Idle who wrote a new England football chant (from the time he left his house to the time he reached The Cremorne!), it goes something like this...“Fabio Capello has got a big chin....Fabio Capello....I do hope England win!”...well it worked...! I can’t get that chant out of my head now...and I’m not that bothered about football! It wasn’t only Idle who impressed the crowd...it was Jack’s turn, he played Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Chain’ (you know the Formula 1 bit)...to appreciative applause! As the set was now coming to an end, it was time for their most popular tracks...‘Witchcraft’ and ‘No Escape’. Yet again the crowd was whipped into a final frenzy with hands in the air and the clambering of trying to lift someone to crowd surf. This was a brilliant end to an interesting and unusual night.

Words & Photos by Gail & Geoff Buckthorpe