This may have been the first time when I have gone to a gig with no previous knowledge of any of the bands playing. So with an open mind and no expectations, I was interested in how the night would pan out.
Opening the proceedings was new Manchester outfit Hopes playing their first ever gig. The set was pretty impressive for a debut performance; it was rough round the edges as expected, but that didn’t detract anything from the performance. It’s obvious that they haven’t quite yet found their sound, but their ATD-I/Glassjaw rhythms, mixed with some Gallowsesque riffs, showed promise.
Another relatively new band was next – Leeds’ Gravelines. I was really really impressed with these; heartfelt punk rock with some real passion. They reminded me of a more straightforward Mockingbird Wish Me Luck in places. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.
First of the touring bands, Directions, didn’t impress. It wasn’t like they were bad or anything, just bland and uninspiring.
Unfortunately my disinterest made me pretty tired, so I only managed to stay for half of Bearings’ set. Despite being of a similar ilk to the previous band (is this slow emo/rock ‘in’ at the moment?), they were a bit more interesting. They reminded me of Rival Schools at times, especially one riff that sounded exactly like ‘Used For Glue’. Nothing ground-breaking by any stretch of the imagination, just decent songs with a bit of spark that Directions lacked.
So overall a good night, with Gravelines definitely taking the best band accolade.
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