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As is pretty much standard whenever we go to the Joiners it starts
to piss it down and having drunk and eaten too much already we wend
our way down there about 7:30 whinging about stomach cramps and the
weather. The place seems packed, moreso than we've seen it recently.
Having dried off and crammed into the usual spot, we're treated to
the first band of the evening, local kids Second Monday. They're from Winchester and kick things off a treat with their heartfelt mix of crashing guitars and hardcore vocals. They play a few Thursday-esque numbers, getting the crowd dancing down the front (most of which came from Winchester as well I think), then launch into a track which seems to change timing about three times but when they hit the timing right it really works.
Next up are Texas Hold'em who I'm guessing are fairly local though I've never heard of them before. They entertain us with an Oasis-style guitar and an SG bass (some amazing slap-bass in one song) and somewhere in the mix there's even a trumpet(?). Anyway, it's all good stuff, the singer/guitarist is wearing a Drive Thru t-shirt and it seems they've got a lot of inspiration from their bands, e.g. The Movielife, Midtown. The occasional trumpet blast makes their pop-punk sound a bit like Less Than Jake too. And I think they finished with a half-decent cover of I Don't Like Mondays as well.
Then The Bombjacks take to the stage. Having spoken to Lester about the guitar playing on Cut Loose (so very fast it's unnatural), he's threatened to fuck it up when they do it. The other guitarist isn't around so he's also got the unenviable task of doing it all by himself. They are standing in for Not Katies tonight who have gone up to London to support Good Charlotte, and they take the oppurtunity to throw a few new songs in the set to test the water for next years album on 20Deck Records. Everything To Lose starts the set, the lead singer really gives it his all, looming larger than life at the front of the stage, and for once I am listening to him rather than the guitar and bass. The drummer does a stout job at the back, and the whole thing gels quite nicely. Meteorite is another impressive one, then it's time to finish with Cut Loose. The singer leaps into the crowd with the mic for a brave few to do a singalong while the drums, bass and guitar go at paces so fast they leave me and Tom staring in awe. They don't fuck up as promised and leave the stage for Fletcher, having played pretty much every song they have in a forty minute set. Their new design t-shirts with the "Where We're Going We Don't Need Roads" print on the back are only a fiver, and they're kind enough to give us some free stickers and a CD, as well as recommending Skirtbox for fast guitaring!
Fletcher seem to have come on a bit late, but I'm told it's late licensing on Fridays so they can go on til twelve. However, most of the Winchester crowd have had to leave to get the 11 o'clock train so the floor is looking rather empty. "Hello, the Joiners is emptying, must be time for Fletcher to play" says frontman Chris. Unperturbed they lay down a few tracks from their Deck Cheese debut "Six Track Sound" EP, classics such as Broken Hands and Shell Of Myself. Signal 109 is introduced as a "ska track", and the few slam dancing kids left at the front do it justice. The band really seem to have tidied up their sound and are playing at a faster pace than I've seen before. They also seem to have changed their instruments as well. They stick a few new tracks in the set which will apparently be on a new release next year (is it an album? Is it an EP?), including a fairly catchy one they played live on Radio One's The Lockup last night. They definately seem to have improved since we saw them in Winchester, and with the Radio One coverage and the promise of a new CD they might just be the next big UK band this time next year.
Jamie
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