First up were the 24/7 City Blueprint. A fantastic array of emo style throbbing bass lines and screaming guitars, this band’s only flaw was their complete lack of stage presence. It was a great shame because the audience weren’t quite warmed up enough to show their appreciation of the obvious talent in this band.

Following them were Orcas - up and coming emo stars from Plymouth. As per usual, they gave a blinding performance, much better than their preceding band since they all raged round the stage like wild animals. Their music was as crazy and feral as their body language, and the furious guitar riffs perfectly complemented the intense vocals.

Finally, Reuben took to the stage. I admit, I had never heard this band before, but I was completely astounded by the talent and charisma of them all. Sometimes when you see a band, something happens to you and you can’t believe that they’re real, and that they are making this amazing music right in front of you - it’s almost like magic. The vocals were fantastic, great lyrics that even I - who had never heard them before - could mange to sing along to. There were compelling guitars throughout, backed up by a great bass line and forceful drumming. Fantastic set. And you could tell they were well appreciated. As well as there being many new faces in the Phoenix, as well as all the regulars, everybody had seemed to turn up for Reuben - they seem to have rather a large fan base in Plymouth! Everyone was singing along, the atmosphere was fantastic, and it was a huge shame when Reuben finally ended their set. If you have the opportunity - go and catch Reuben live. You won’t regret it.

Reviewed By Luce