On arrival to this gig, I passed several unusual people in heavy make up, and just for a moment I felt like I was in the year 1981. As it turned out I wasn’t far off because electro pop legend Gary Numan was also due to appear, although he performed on the top floor. Fortunately for him his friends downstairs were electric too.
As I arrived a Welsh outfit called BITE were just about to finish. This band’s bark was certainly worst than its bite (pardon the pun) and for an opening act they weren’t too bad. I just wish I'd caught more of them. Ah well...
I proceeded to purchase a £3 plastic pint of Carling at the bar. Grrr. I was
hoping that the next band could take the sting out of the situation.
THE ZICO CHAIN were due to go on at 8:30pm. As they took to the stage, you knew immediately that these three guys meant business. They wore ripped jeans and t-shirts and sported the longest hair I’d seen in ages. Believe it or not this grunge metal outfit hail from East London not Seattle and they certainly livened things up here in what was an all too early slot for a band of this calibre.
They opened with ‘Pretty Pictures’, the lead off track from their kick ass new album ‘Food’. Promoting their current single ‘Anaemia’, their set for the most part replicated cuts from the album. Musically we’re talking Queens Of The Stone Age, although it’s quite possible if the band play their cards right they could be the next Bush and enjoy more success across the Atlantic. they've been making quite a mark across The Pond so far.
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Zico Chain were easily the best band on in here, and it was clear they were severally miscast and deserved to support more substantial bands. At one
point I was transfixed by their animated drummer Ollie Midleton, who played
topless and tattooed. Indeed it was pounding drums, heavy riffs and long
hair all the way for The Chain.
A summary of the next band would be a lot like the weather we’ve been having
lately. In fact FLOOD OF RED would probably be chased out of town if they
happened to be playing in say Sheffield or Gloucester. It was a very stormy
set indeed from this young Glasgow six-piece. The word ‘Flood’ would no
doubt be a sore point for many at the moment. Finally ‘Ghost of a Thousand’
rounded things up but by then I’d decided my ears had had of enough ear-bleeding abuse for one night. Perhaps I’m getting old?
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