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This
gig was split into an earlier and later session, with eight
bands scheduled to play, for only three English pounds! I
attended the later session, with performances from Munky Nut,
Featherstone, III on speed and signed band Earnest Cox.
Great
opening act
Munky
Nut were a great opening act, with a strong heavy metal sound,
with punky riffs and fast, typical metal/heavy rock vocals.
I was afraid that all the songs were going to sound the same,
but I felt they had a varied set, with some punkier upbeat songs
and some heavier ones. I would say sound wise they were a mix
of the older Incubus stuff, with a bit of Rage against the Machine,
Andrew W.K and Lost Prophets thrown in.
I
loved the fact Munky Nut were experimenting with their effects
pedals, it made the songs stand out and sound even better.
They also had lots of chops and changes in the songs, leaving
you wondering where they were going to go next, so the songs
were definitely not boring!
Overall
they were a solid band, with firm songs and great timing,
despite having problems with the monitors and so not being
able to hear each other properly! One of my favourite aspects
of the band was that each member was equal, usually I find
the vocalist or lead guitarist gets most attention and is
the most recognised out of the band. However, the bassist
had the opportunity to sing, the guitarist did backing vocals
whilst performing excellently and the drumming was awesome,
he wasnÂ’t afraid to stick to basic rhythms also had a
drum solo! This band is certainly on itÂ’s way to doing
really well.
A
musical treat
Featherstone
followed Munky Nut, as they walked on stage I had no idea
what to expect, IÂ’d never seen them before and they were
an older band. Usually as soon as I see older bands I expect
them to be a bit boring as itÂ’s great seeing young bands
develop and itÂ’s easier to relate to otherÂ’s of
a similar age. However, I didnÂ’t know how much of a treat
was in store!
Featherstone
are one of the best, if not the best local band! Lead singer
NickÂ’s extremely energetic, funky performance was enough
to rival Justin Hawkins of The Darkness. He had a really strong
voice that was extremely recognisable as his and not a copy
of anyone elseÂ’s. Not only did Nick put on a great performance,
but all members looked confident and played amazingly!
Mark,
the guitarist, played exciting and powerful riffs with his
beautiful SG guitar and Matt looked like any talented bassist
who had passion for playing. The way he played was reminiscent
of many talented artists, not something that you can put your
finger on, but something which stands out to the audience.
Tom, the drummer, managed perfect backing vocals despite drumming.
FeatherstoneÂ’s
performance was real rock nÂ’ roll, with a performance
similar to The Darkness and songs reminiscent of that of ACDC
- I just wanted to dance! Featherstone even covered one of
my favourite songs – Song 2 by Blur, yet they weren’t
afraid to make it their own, unlike some younger bands that
try and imitate the original. Featherstone have only been
together for a little while, yet their confidence and continuity
in their catchy, impressive songs suggests theyÂ’ve been
together for ages!
Despite
playing a forty-minute set, it seemed more like a ten-minute
set – because they were so enjoyable to watch the set
went really quickly, I couldÂ’ve easily listened to several
more songs. IÂ’d definitely advise you to catch Featherstone
now around Gloucestershire, before they get a bit too big!
Hardcore
punk
III
on speed were third on the bill, having heard them before, I
wasnÂ’t a particularly big fan, as IÂ’m not really into
hardcore punk music. However, it was great to see a female fronted
band, especially as she put a lot into her performance, with
fast and hectic singing and a great outfit, including a red
net skirt/tutu, red and black stripy socks with a matching studded
sweatband and black boots with red laces. This girl could really
sing and didnÂ’t feel she had to scream and shout harshly
to sound rocky.
Like
Featherstone, the drummer provided great backing vocals. The
only thing I found, was that each song sounded pretty similar,
and it was hard to tell the difference between the songs.
But if you like fast, hectic punk, III on speed are definitely
one to see.
Fresh
sounds
IÂ’d
heard a lot of positive things about headliners Earnest Cox
from my peers and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ had previously described them as
'a cross between Radiohead and the Spice Girls, fronted by
Gary Numan's Beethoven fixated little brother.' I was intrigued
to find out what they sounded like as I saw them step on stage,
with a keyboard and ‘old fashioned’ looking guitar
and tambourine.
Their
sound was very fresh, as they played bluesy/folk/funky soft
rock. There were some heavier songs with powerful guitar,
and some with a dominating keyboard. It was great that everyone
could relate to the music – as the songs had so many
different elements, yet still fit perfectly!
The
band had great ideas, using a loudspeaker in ‘No Joke’
and several other songs in their set - as well as making use
of a maraca and a tambourine, which kept the audiences attention!
They were definitely not afraid to experiment.
The
music was uplifting and relaxing, I could just imagine listening
to them on a hazy day at a festival. I definitely saw elements
of Radiohead, along with Ash, Blur and Razorlight. Sure enough,
people started to get up and dance along – I definitely
wanted to! The only complaint I could make was that their
set was only about 25 minutes - a bit too short!
See also: The
Welsh Harp
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Music
clips
Sad
by Featherstone
Gypsy
by Featehrstone
Munky
Nut Live
Musical
performances reproduced with the kind permission of
the individual bands. Please note: clips are only 30
second tasters.
To
listen to audio content on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ you will need to
have a program called RealPlayer installed on your computer.
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The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is not responsible
for the content of external websites
If
you have suggestions about any Gloucestershire arty things
I can write about, send them to me via e-mail below:
gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
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