Tuesday December 16th The Prince Albert, 3 bands & 60 people in one room, not just any old bands and not regular people, 3 bands with a fire, a passion, a talent and prepared to give there all on a cold December midweek evening.
An audience compiled of people who’ve chosen on a cold December midweek evening to leave work, leave their homes with the Sofa, the central heating, the bottle of Rioca and the Xfactor repeats repeats repeats, they’re not keyboard warriors complaining on Facebook about how shit everything is they chose to support local bands, venues and embrace Rock n Roll.
[pullquote_right]I think every single one was glad they had when the last chords of Dirt Royal, covering the Clash’s Janine Jones crashed through the PA , the cheering and the room of smiles bore this out. [/pullquote_right]
Any gig in Brighton is competing with a lot of other great gigs & events in this Town and as any promoter knows it can be an anxious evening looking for people to walk through the door.
But this was one of those magical evenings when everything clicked. First up of the trio of 3 piece bands were The Lanes, playing with an energy and a conviction you had to pinch yourself it was only 8.30 and the room was just beginning to fill, their sound is fast and furious and with the band jumping all over the stage you can tell these boys are a band for a big crowd which is definitely heading their way very soon.
Next up The Vril, one band member down but old/ new school punks never let you down. I know the band and they have the right rock n roll belief and conviction balanced out with humour and humility, born out of all working together on a building site on a daily basis. Determination in their eyes and a melody ringing out of the jangly guitar, they have that certain something you can’t put your finger on but a cult following is jumping on board after they themselves jumped up the support band stage list on The Ordinary Boys latest tour.
A great sign of a great gig and vibe is when each band stays and watches and cheers the other bands when on stage, everyone was soaking up the spirit of the evening when Dirt Royal hit the stage, literally after 5 Kronenburgs! They love the banter and have been refining their stagecraft having just come back from a German tour.
They know how to entertain and can write a catchy singa long number. An energetic mix of early Jam, Kinks and a touch of the Byrds, their enthusiasm is infectious.
Songs for their generation, not a retro punk one, but one of today’s minimum wage and being treated like shit by a boss who knows there are 20 Cvs on his desk of Univ graduates struggling to find work. Songs with a social comment and catchy melody, entertaining the crowd, um that sounds like what the music world is missing right now.
A room of smiling happy people was a joy to see, thats entertainment!
Next ones Jan 10th come along and see for yourself.
Mick.
[button link=”/mick-habeshaw-robinson/”]Words Mick Habeshaw Robinson[/button]
