Esquires level 2 - Bed-Rock day 1 - Friday 27th July 2007
Reviewed by Martin Stapleton
Phew! Bed-Rock, fifty plus acts, two venues, eighteen hours or so of live music, spread over two days. A venture that has not been tried locally before. I have to congratulate Bedford Metal's Nigel Evans, Keith Pickering and their commitee members for their bold attempt in giving the young people of Bedford the flavour of a festival. Esquires was split between bands on Level 2, with acoustic bands also appearing in Danny's Bar.
Friday's action started for me with Self-Inflicted. It's nice to be reacquainted with this Cambridge band as its been a while since they last played on Level 2. They have a contrasting combination of beauty and bludgeoning power. It's not hard to work out what part alluring vocalist Heidi contributes as she seductively dances for the most part of the set, while the hormonal young lads at the front are still recovering from the sight of Heidi's bare midriff!!
Their testosterone levels go into orbit with the appearance of the feisty young ladies of Sirenide. For the Leighton Buzzard band it's a first, because their guitarist is stranded in an Italian airport. They have to play as a quartet. No-one seems to mind as, once again, this popular band combine a superb stage show with some sparkling pop-punk sounds. As well as their preformance, Llovonne Sirenide excitedly rushes back to Level 2 to tell me that Fifth Quarter's set in the bar was "Amazing! Wow those boys can rock!" she enthuses. They were headlining downstairs and the general concensus was the same as Llovonne's. I feel a bit disappointed to have missed them. Especially when I have to suffer thirty minutes of a band called Belisha.
To call them "slightly bonkers" would be a massive understatement. They come on to the stage wearing headgear with lights and then proceed to give us the surreal sight of a custard pie fight on stage! I just found them ' cringeworthy' but the party crowd surprisingly seemed to like them - bah humbug!
Final band Drive By Argument are much more to my liking. Their cool indie-dance tunes certainly found favour with me.