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Sometimes gigs like this are the most interesting. Take an up-and-coming national band, give 'em a show at a small venue with a couple of local ones and see how it goes.
Local lads Courtesy Of US start things off and sound, to all intents and purposes, like a heavier Nickelback. Which isn't a totally bad thing...until they decide to do an ill-advisedly straight cover of "Yellow" by Coldplay. Lads, if you wanna be a rock 'n' roll band, there are certain things you just do not do. That is one of them. Back of the class.
Much more promising are second band on Vicious Cabaret who look like an extremely nasty version of the Rain Band and sound like the Strokes on steroids - pure vitriolic sneering Stooges style garage rock which sounds like it could eat the anodyne likes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for breakfast. Rest assured if I see this lot playing round here again, I shall be in attendance.
Headliners Plan A meanwhile bring the evening to a close in impressive style. Fronted by ex-Wildhearts guitarist Jef Streatfield, they play a pure no-nonsense blend of 900mph punk rock which is so perfect you suspect it could've been genetically engineered to headbang to. At their best, on the likes of "Take A Look" and "She Said", Plan A sound like some truly evil meltdown between the Ramones, the Wildhearts and the Senseless Things and that's not the sort of praise you throw about lightly. Truly fine stuff from a band who you really should check out next time they play near you.
Review and pic by Andy James
