The Anvil, Bournemouth
I’ve given up on ever catching the first band on when there are more than four bands on the bill – so Rat the Magnificent, I’m sorry! Xander And The Keys produce a Poppy Indie/Rock that goes down well with what little crowd there were downstairs, but really isn’t to my taste. Good Cover of the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams” though!
The Crash Landings are another matter, good old fashioned Punk Rock played with large amounts of piss and vinegar! Sounding at times like the Angelic Upstarts and then veering into Clash territory with little Ska tinged gems like “Hate Mail”. Bags of confidence and an entertaining stage presence make them a band to keep an eye on in the future. Top notch stuff!
County Trials came next playing to a severely reduced crowd. They are a two vocalist band and I’ve yet to see one of those that can cut the mustard. Playing Screamo Hardcore, you would think that the only reason to have two singers would be because they are vocally distinctive, but County Trails just tag team each other and sound the same. Granted, they jumped around a lot but that couldn’t hide the audience’s indifference. The rest of the band was tight musically but the songs were just carbon copies of each other. Back to the drawing board to input some originality that I’m sure they have hidden away somewhere!
The crowd descended from upstairs for the headliners Turbogeist, who come out punching with their modern Punk stylings. Some of the guitar work was on the sloppy side but got better as the set progressed. They tried their best to get the crowd involved, but everyone seemed a bit lethargic. Songs “Alien Girl” and “Mermaid’s Revenge” are the highlights and they belted them out well.
Overall I got the impression that it was all a bit of a laugh and not too serious; but I think if they paid attention to honing their songs and making their stage show a bit slicker, they could take their career up a level.
Links
http://turbogeist.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Turbogeist
http://www.countytrials.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/countytrials
https://www.facebook.com/TheCrashLandings
http://www.xandkeys.com/
https://www.facebook.com/XanderAndTheKeys
Words and Piccies by Dan O’Gara
