Review: The Bombjacks, Skirtbox, My Dad Joe @ Watford Rugby Club

It started as a gig of funny circumstances, the bands only starting to play around 9:30, but rather than dwell on these circumstances I'd prefer to write about the music instead….

MDJ kicked things off in a no less than energetic manner. This band for me have really "come of age" (as it were) recently. They have found astonishing form with their by no means simple brand of skate-pop-punk song smithery sounding tight and polished. The latest products of this band can be found on their split EP with reason 69, the songs themselves illustrating great development. On the night the guys are a joy to watch. I'm not sure why Laurent's parents decided it would be a good idea to replace his legs with springs, but it does no harm for MDJ's stage presence (not bad for an old git anyway). Honest, emotional, and punk as f**k, it's impossible not to like this band.

Skirtbox started their set with "Minky Express," the first chords of which I heard whilst pissing. Stopping in mid pee, I started to make my way back into the club to find I was trapped to the side of the stage. Despite a slightly limited sound (I couldn't hear vocals at all) I had a perfect view of the lads whilst playing. The guitar work is quite simply astonishing, both guitars seemingly fused in harmonious brilliance (cheese.) Songs are technical yet catchy anthems, displaying obvious talent. They even throw in the odd tapping solo on the way. One of my favourite bands at the moment.

Bombjacks had the task of bringing the proceedings to a close, and did so in fantastic style. They capture both the technical old school(almost metal?!) punk style of Skirtbox, and the singalongable poppy emo of MDJ. The result is a near perfect display of brilliant song writing. The sound is crisp, with vocals strong and melodic, complimented by yet again some astonishingly tight guitar work. Due to the late start the guys had to cut their set short, but left everyone happy.

Overall another excellent gig, a shame a lot of people left before finding out It was actually happening. But all the bands sounded excellent, a quality lineup.

Details of the MDJ/Reason 69 EP can be found at www.mydadjoe.com . Alternatively, find one of the guys at a gig and they're bound to have a few on them.

Review: Aconite Thrill, Firstborn, SiKth @ The Pioneer 22/9/01

To start, it was fantastic to see such a turnout for a NAM show in St Albans. Alternative venues to the regular Watford based gigs seem to have struggled somewhat, with people lacking the motivation to travel to less conveniently accessed areas. Perhaps It was due to the cancellation of Skirtbox at stitches the previous evening, but this emerging scene at the Pioneer seemed to take off. And if you were too lazy to go up there on Saturday, well it's your loss...

Opening is never an easy task, with many crowds having to warm up first before illustrating signs of enthusiasm. But Aconite Thrill had no problems in receiving a headliner-esque response, and by god did they deserve it. The first song established their status as an obvious quality act, blending jazz-funk-metal-emo-hardcore and any other style you'd care to mention, but all was cut short when the power suddenly went. 5 quid for one bloody song. Well it was a particularly phat song, but 5 quid... Fortunately with a bit of tinkering by the sound men it was back to business and the Thrill resumed their set. The quality was maintained throughout, obvious influences displayed from the likes of Glassjaw, Incubus etc. You might think it difficult for a vocalist to live up to comparisons of bands where the vocals illustrate obvious brilliance, but Will J is one of the most versatile and talented singers I've heard at least in the local scene if not the country, combining careful sweeping melodies with screams.The rest of the band aren't bad either. Most notably Guitarist Alex displaying face-punchable (not that I'd want to) confidence and stage presence, and drummer Gareth making Matthew cream his pants several times. I can't spend the entire review writing about these guys so I'll move on, but if you missed them, well, unlucky.

Firstborn had an impossible task in following but seemed to keep the crowd happy. They played some Staind esque cliched grunge style rock that kept me listening for a song and a half. Then we went to Mc Donalds.

SiKth took the stage with a great deal of anticipation. Their fame has recently rocketed in the UK, receiving rave reviews from 'Kerrang!' and being the first Watford band to grace the Astoria. But on the few occasions I've seen them, their sound has never really done them justice. SiKth produce songs with technical intensity comparable to the likes of Dillinger Escape Plan etc. Yet it all became a wall of noise at the Pioneer, difficult to appreciate but with obvious brilliance. New(ish) vocalist Justin was in top form, displaying rare versatility again when Mikee had mic troubles. Their rather short set was completed even shorter then anticipated when, just at the beginning of concluding tune "Pull My Finger" the power went. Again.

Overall one of the most enjoyable local gigs this year, a fantastic crowd and 2 excellent bands, with Firstborn seeming just a tad out of their depth.

SiKth are in the process of completing a new 3 track demo, with "Pull My Finger" availible to download via www.sikth.co.uk. It's seems a shame, but only when recorded can you (or at least can I) fully appreciate how blinding this band really are.