This was the album launch show for Syteria World the excellent third album by Syteria held at The Black Heart in Camden, this being the bank Holiday weekend we had been to the Notting Hill Carnival during the day, we may have some ringing in our ears even before we arrived at this gig. Having missed the first two acts Tom Spencer and Sinners In The City we were ready for Star Circus.
Star Circus are a 4-piece old school glam metal band, who as the 59th band I've seen this month suffered from being a bit by the numbers, right from the opening Love Is The End they were good and tight with a great guitar solo but the songs seem a bit forgettable.
Times Get tough was the first song that also had the brilliant sight of Auzzie Pete playing air drums along with them, standing in front of us, I wasn't sure if he's air drums were as fancy or more outlandish than the actual drummer.
Just Like In The Movies should have been a cover of the Joan Jett classic but I'm pretty sure it wasn't, it had the requisite guitar solos and they were having a lot of fun playing it, but well this was never going to be better than the Joan Jett song. They then threatened to give us the bands monumental ballad on Wall Around Your Heart but it didn't quite go the full lighters in the air sway along we were hoping for, as they failed to embrace the bands inner Poison.
Bridges had Sophie Youngs bassline really hold things together as the two guitarists tried to take things stratospheric but it never really took off. They then claimed It All Seems So Surreal while sounding like a meat and potatoes heavy rock band without anything much original to make them jump out at us. They closed with Save Your Life that let them shower us with another couple of big solos but for me at least Star Circus were rather forgettable.
Syteria should have been the first band I saw this month, but we didn't get to Rebellion in time to see them opening the Opera House stage on the Thursday, so instead they are the 60th band I've seen this August.
Right from the opening bars of Guilty Syteria were in our faces and rocking hard with Julia Calvo really nailing the vocals as Girlschool legend Jackie Chambers let fly on guitar. I'm All Woman was as much a statement as a full-on pledge to let us know who they are, it was good to see drummer Pablo Calvi joining in on the harmony backing vocals.
I think they played breaking Through next as the good times hard rocking got going and let Jackie really nail her short guitar solo. It Hit Me was the first song played with only one guitar as Julia really worked the audience as a prowling front woman, striking all sorts of cool poses for the photographers.
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Julia picked up her vanity mirror to gaze into on Plastic Fantastic the bands song about the ridiculous rise of plastic surgery, the plastic look, no matter how much Jackie may have joked about how life changes your body when you're a little bit older, than the rest of the band your playing in. Gossips has a good, chanted chorus and pointed its fingers at all the back biters talking behind your back.
Jackie claimed we were all drunk before they sang Raise Your Glass, she may have had a point, as we were well on the way, this is a great fun drinking song. Julia strapped her guitar back on for remember me that has a super solid bassline from Steph Dawson.
They then got nice and angry on Pause For Peace as who doesn't want an end to war and a more peaceful world. As Julia put her guitar down for Empty she let us know exactly what they think of all our politicians empty promises. They had a bit of call and response before the start of Revolution as they made clear that if you want to live in Syteria World then you need to be peaceful, loving, caring and trying to make the world a better place.
Monsters needed the twin guitar attack to take down the People who are the real Monsters they are attacking. We were instructed in what to sing before they launched into Make Some Noise that was great fun. Then rather than go off for an encore they told us they were playing till curfew before they closed with Halloween that began with asking if we wanted tricks or treats as they threw sweets at us, Julia then inviting an audience member to scream for Halloween and she picked the right woman who let rip with a real blood curdling scream to help us know it's time to get ready for Halloween, that was a good fun end to a really enjoyable set.
We then had to go to the merch stand to get a pair of Syteria knickers for Jo as she needs some gig knickers, you have to love a band that sell there own branded knickers.
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