Ten Foot Pole / Venerea / Five Knuckle
live in London (2003)
It's yet another night at the sweaty little Garage in London, but this a pretty damn good line up and I am really looking forward to seeing Ten Foot Pole again.
We arrive just in time to see the first band up, No Comply. Now I've heard lots of things about this band and they seem to be getting quite popular very quickly, but this is the first time I have seen them. Always a worry for me when they come out carrying a trumpet and a trombone. I am not a fan of ska stuff at all, and I have to say that No Comply did nothing to impress me that they are anything but run of the mill ska core with a female singer. A faster Save Ferris or a ska Tsunami Bomb, take your pick. They are just like everything else that seems to come out right now. They have a lot of energy it has to be said, jumping around thrashing their instruments about. They've obviously seen Lightyear a few too many times and seem to be trying to emulating them at times. Also the lead singerâ¦well she just can't dance at all. She has a very good voice and lots of energy, but no rhythm. I mean I ain't no Fred soddin Astaire but I could hands down beat her in a dance off! But if you like ya UK ska-core then yeah you will like this band. Sorry, but I just find it all too common!
I never used to like Five Knuckle, I have to be honest, their blend of hardcore just never kept my ears interested. But they have really grown on me. I've seen them loads of times now and even have all their CD's now. And this is yet another amazing performance from them. They are of course playing the same songs every time I see them, but that's ok cause I like them now. Always a great set, and a very tight performance, highly enjoyable.
Venerea are up next, from Sweden. Now I recall seeing this band a couple of years ago at the LA2 (Mean Fiddler), but I have no idea who they played with there, that has long since gone from my memory. I know I liked them and I bought a 4 track CD of theirs and that's pretty decent. They are a very decent sounding punk rock band and I do really like them. The singer/bassist's dress sense is non existent in a nasty white vest, nasty beige shorts, white trainers and black socks. He'd look more suited in the Aussie outback than in a punk band. But what do I know, that might be the latest styles in Sweden and he could easily be the pin up darling of many a pre-pubescent girl. But somehow I just can't see it. Back to the band themselves, they are really worth checking out.
Now I gotta say that I love Ten Foot Pole, seem them a few times before and they've always been awesome in my opinion. Tonight is no exception. Opening with A.D.D. from the stunning album "Unleashed" this was always going to be a great show. They mixed the songs up well from over their albums. I expected to hear a load of the latest album "Bad Mother Trucker" and sure enough they did play them, luckily I loved the album. Tracks like "Nova Scotia" and "Armchair Quaterback" (my personal favourite off the new album). I just had a wail of a time watching Ten Foot Pole again. I really have to urge everyone to get all of Ten Foot Pole's albums, cause they rock and liveâ¦well they seem to be even better!