The Enigma, Miksha, Flict, Sacred Mother Tongue, Neptune - Esquires, 19th November 2005
Reviewed by Martin Stapleton
In the true spirit of Avant-Garde rock, American band Neptune had a most definite unsettling look to them, as well as off-beat musicianship allied to their 'Blue Peter' do-it-yourself ethic of building all their instruments from things found in a scrap-yard! Yes - really!! Their distorted sound was a cross between Kraftwerk and The Gang of Four. This must rank as one of the most surreal acts I have ever seen at this venue.
Sacred Mother Tongue hail from Northampton and transported us back to Eighties 'stadium rock' sound. They hit us with all the old rock moves and riffs, which made for a welcome touch of nostalgia.
Flict infuse a wide range of influences, from Rap to Ragga, Hip-hop to Heavy Metal. The lead singer fired lyrical salvos into the crowd, grinning as he did and offering the microphone out to his London collective in the audience who respond by reciting his lyrics back at him. How does he show his thanks to his numerous fans? He dowses them with a bottle of water! Ah, respect!
A late inclusion on tonight's bill are four piece Norwegian hardcore metal act Miksha. They create intense industrial soundscapes of metalcore machinery. Their set features tracks from their current album, 'Collect Your Hazardous Waste' and the lead singer has many kind words to say about the venue.
It is incredible to report that The Enigma's set ended at 12:38am - quite a change from the normal 11pm curfew! For me, although they played hard and with tremendous feeling and endeavour, their set suffered from having to follow Miksha's, who were undoubtedly the stars of a diverse and eclectic evening.