Chaos Faerie + The Pressuretones + The Demi Massacre - 2nd July 2009
Reviewed by Martin Stapleton
After a gap of a few months, Bedford Alternative Music return for a trio of showcase nights, once again culminating in a monster level 2 gig next month. The musical mix and age group of audience and bands could not be more different. Thankfully, Danny's Bar has some electric fans situated about the place. More appliances would have been welcome. The evening hours offer no tangible respite from the hot and humid conditions that we have endured today. The smoking area/beer garden is without doubt the ideal place to be and many, many wise folks utilize it to the fullest. Fresh air flow is at a premium.
The Demi Massacre from Luton are the first to the mic and they certainly don't ease us in gently. The young trio bludgeon us with their hardcore sounds. New to Esquires, they are keen to impress as they put maximum effort into it. Screaming vocals are, I admit, slightly hard to take on this particular evening. With heads slightly weary from the pounding rays of the sun, people dip in and out of this band during their set. On a cooler occasion, I too might have been a bit more up for 'The Massacre'.
Quite what The Pressuretones are doing at a showcase evening is a complete mystery to me, but I am glad that they are here. The young metal crowd took refuge outside as the older bruisin' tattooed skankin supporters pitch up at the bar and closer to the action. With regular slots here in the past, this showcase is perhaps primed to promote the release of their new album "Reverence". Highly recommended, it was recorded at the Parlour recording studio, Glendon Lodge Farm, Kettering, Northants. The Pressuretones, namely Phil (vocals), Fitz (drums), Juke ( keyboards), Tone (bass) and Steve (rhythm) ply their lively sounds and are a perfect antidote to the stresses and strains that most of us have encountered today. Although the whole band are on top form, it's the keyboards that are the highlight and memory of the set. It's deep seated sound cascades wave upon wave to flood every part of the room. Chirpy fromtman Phil does berate the vast majority of the crowd for sitting down rather than dancing. "Thats for watching television!" he says. With his minor rant over, the band continue to generate their free-flowing tunes.
With the appearance of Chaos Faerie, metal returned to the agenda with total vengeance. The young collective thrash out a harsh sounding set. Effervescent in their performance, the unrelenting sound owes a big thank you to sound engineer Rich, who was spot on all night.