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In the wake of last week's disappointing Thisgirl gig, the prospect of seeing yet another group of second wave emo kids at the Well didn't seem like the most enticing of prospects. And, as it turns out, it wasn't. But first...
Agent Blue. Remember that name because you will almost certainly be hearing it again in the near future. Sounding like the Cooper Temple Clause before they lost the plot or an ultra-unhinged version of the Music, these Stoke-on-Trent noiseniks put on an absolute stormer of a set tonight, blasting their way through heavy duty rabid rock 'n' roll gutshots like "Snowhill" and "Something Else" with a ferocious abandon which quickly sweeps over the audience. Quite simply, there hasn't been a new British band this electrifying for a long long time and it just goes to show that, contrary to what the NME may tell you, the music emanating from outside London at the moment is every bit as exciting as the increasingly insular Razorlight headed drone-rock coming from within. To sum up - bloody fantastic.
And it all leaves you wondering whether Yourcodenameismilo must be about the most unlucky band in the world. Last time we saw them they were sharing a bill with McLusky and sank like a stone and sad to say the same thing happens tonight. It's not that these Geordie emo-ers are a particularly bad band per se, it's just that while Agent Blue are pushing the boundaries beyond their limits, YCIM are too in thrall to the bands they want to sound like (Rival Schools and Jimmy Eat World notably) to really hold your attention after such a ferocious support act. There's no denying the energy of their songs but ultimately they're playing it just that crucial bit too safe for it to actually work. And there's the difference tonight, while both these bands may be lying in the musical gutter, at least Agent Blue have got the nous to be reaching right out for the stars and that's what will see them go on to bigger and better things while YCIM are left floundering in their wake. Sorry lads.
Review by Andy James
