iBar, Bournemouth
I was rather excited about this line up, the kind of excited that ended up with me getting to the venue much too early and having the slightly surreal experience of joining an actual queue outside iBar. However there were lots of other people queuing as well, either because they were also excited, or because the tickets they were clutching stated that doors would open at 7. I heard some whisperings outside that Pegasus Bridge had pulled out due to an illness so I asked the friendly doorman what time the doors were due to open He told me around 8, so I wondered off to get myself a cocktail, which seemed a good way to start the night!
Both Lower Than Atlantis and Futures seem to be on the cusp of something big, having both received lots of exposure lately, so I was really looking forward to seeing what their live performances could offer. I returned in time to see the opening band, Out For Tomorrow, who gave a pleasing performance, which was very listenable, despite a few problems with the microphone. They seem to have taken the sing-scream-sing approach favoured by many bands at the moment, and whilst there wasn’t anything to really set them apart from these, they did give a tight performance and seemed to have a fair bit of talent. They also tried really hard to get the crowd going, but their shouts of ‘get up Bournemouth’ were met with polite applause rather than the raucous reply I imagine they were hoping for.
Lower Than Atlantis received a far better reception from the minute they started playing, though oddly they didn’t seem particularly interested in interacting with the crowd. It didn’t affect their performance though, and they filled the room with their energetic sound. Whilst their music isn’t exactly anything new, being a sort of post-hardcore punk rock, the raw energy that can be heard in their songs, both recorded and live makes it sound exciting and fresh. I also found myself warming to them because of the way they acted between songs, they seemed so laidback and down to earth, which definitely drew me in. I expect to see a lot more of them in the future.
As soon as Lower Than Atlantis left the stage, I positioned myself right at the front, as I did not want to miss a moment of the Futures set. The room quickly filled behind me and as soon as they burst into their first song, I knew it was going to be a good end to the night. Futures have a real feel good, summery pop-rock sound, and the atmosphere whilst they were playing definitely reflected that. Half-way through their set they brought one of their fans up on stage and got everybody singing Happy Birthday to her, whilst they presented her with a seriously tasty looking cake, which was a touching moment, though I was disappointed that I didn’t get a slice!
They wrapped up the evening with my favourite song of theirs “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” which was met with a brilliant reaction, and had the crowd singing along almost louder than the band were playing which left me with a great buzz. They were definitely worth getting excited about.
http://www.wearefutures.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/lowerthanatlantis
http://www.myspace.com/outfortomorrow
Words by Guest Reviewer Sarah Lovegrove.
