Slow Gherkin / LightYear @ The Vic, Derby.
11/9/00.
3rd gig in 3 days and this was was a classic. LightYear always get a
really good turn out at their home venue and this was no exception. A really
tight punk/ska set from the Derby boys, having two guitarists and a 3 piece
brass section really makes their sound complete.
I actually missed the first 5 or 10 minutes of their set due to canceled
and delayed trains, by the time I got in the 150 capacity venue, the majority
of the crowd were around the stage area to witness the ska/punk 8 piece.
There was a lot of people dancing at the front mainly the Lightyear girls
fan club!
Chas lead the band in his own way as usual, encouraging the rest of
the band between songs whilst sweat covered his T-shirt. neil led the horn
trio with his aggressive waving of his trumpet and fists. Although he looks
less menacing with his big moustache.
Most of Lighyear's track sound more punky than the stuff laid down
on tape, but I suppose its just cos the guitars are louder and seem heavier
live.
'Spot check' still sounds cool with its poppy horns and skanking guitars. Chas continues to stomp around the stage for the set and that song about michael Jackson's white socks sounds quite good. Actually I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of the new stuff when its recorded in a studio. The odd song seems to loose its way a bit, but I'm sure after a few listens most of the bands material will live up to that on the split CD with Evil Macaroni.
Slow gherkin had to call the kids out of the bar area to the stage as there were only a few people around for the first few bars of there set. Thankfully everyone piled towards the stage and never returned to the bar at the Santa Cruz band gave us a great rock 'n' roll ska party. All the songs were catchy, there weren't more punky or less ska than the albums, they were just perfect.
'Turned off' started the proceedings and by the time 'Get some more' kicked in, it was impossible not to get down and dance. The band looked like they were having just as good time as the crowd who really appreciated the chance to get down and skank. Vocalist / Guitarist James thanked Lightyear and apologised as he couldn't understand why they were headlining and not the hometown crew. Anyway Saturday's aggressive mosh of Capdown and AAA was excellent but this gig gave the chance to gave a good party.
After 'For laura' some girls shouted for James to get his kit off. He
reminded them that they'd got the wrong band as it was Neil from Lightyear
who normally went naked. Neil, down at the front of the crowd duly obliged
and went on stage with just his trainers and socks on. (and his moustache!)
He spent the next few songs on stage skanking or pretending his dick
was a guitar! Brings a new meaning to the word strumming I suppose!
He then went back to the front of the crowd and skanked starkers for
the rest of the set.
Appropriately 'Shed some skin' was next up and it went down a storm as did a new song 'in love with movie stars', taken from the Roman holiday best of UK CD.
James, A.J. (guitarist/ vocalist) and I think Ross (the sax man) really stole, the show with their energy and effort that they put into every song as Ross and James often crashed into each other as they skanked around. Ross would often be flying around the stage in a frenzy as the ska party continued. James would also take his mike down into the crowd to get down with the Derby kids.
'Anorther in your life' kept everyone happy and 'Trapped in myers flat' was the one that most people had come to hear a Slow Gherkin duly played it and it got a great reception as by this not only were most people dancing but singing along.
The band said there good-bye's but it wasn't long before the crowd bayed
for more and the great night ended with a new track from the split with
RX bandits (not tap dancing - which they didn't play).
Last up was 'How now longbrow' which went out to everyone who went
to uni as they could probably related to this song about student life.
It was a great track to end the night and at the close James was in
the close with everyone skanking around him singing into the mic.
