From the moment that doors open and people begin to enter, it is clear that Guildford’s indie kids are out in force tonight. The café is nearly full, and over half of the crowd seem to be here for Enjoy Destroy. As a performer, it’s always reassuring to have your friends supporting you at your gigs, especially if your band is fairly local and little-known (although by the looks of things, little-known isn’t exactly the appropriate word for Enjoy Destroy after all). Tonight sees a mixture of styles in the line up, a prog-funk band, a punk band and an indie band. However, this doesn’t seem to bother anyone here, as the atmosphere is buzzing and excitement is rife throughout the audience. So, then; to business.

First up are ENJOY DESTROY, who appear to have accumulated a sizeable fan base for a local band (although given the amount of screaming girls, one wonders whether the music is really what some of them are here for…). They waste no time in turning up the volume and making themselves heard, ripping straight into their first number with style and panache. Their high-voltage indie-rock makes one think of the Strokes, the Vines, or any other of the myriad of indie garage bands around at the moment. What then distinguishes them from the rest? What makes it worthwhile coming and watching them, as opposed to sitting at home and sticking on the latest Arctic Monkeys album? In my opinion, it is the fact that their sound not only comprises of low-fi guitars, one-pace drums and grating vocals, but also genuinely catchy songs, reminiscent of Fallout Boy, with distinctive poppy hooks which have even the non-fans nodding along. Their songs are well written, though -as with many other bands of this genre- not mainly focused on the lyrics, and not only are they proficient as musicians individually- they also gel as a band. Their performance shows a lot of practice, tightness, and importantly- a general sense of having fun (gasp, a band having fun?). These guys clearly enjoy playing together, and are confident in their live act, and this shows through in their swaggering confidence onstage. At times, they do seem to be a bit too big for their boots, and one could wonder whether it was really necessary for them to take off their shirts halfway through their set. But on the whole, they are good fun to watch, and definitely worth seeing.

It’s always hard to follow a popular band who have just played a great set, and it would probably take a miracle to outdo tonight’s openers in the eyes of their fans. Funnily enough, though, the other two bands don’t have to worry about this problem at all, as once again the popular band leave, taking their fans with them. This leaves the café somewhat deserted. However, punk lads THE GRIZZLEY ENDS face this with confidence and a sense of humour. They are entirely aware that they were never the reason the recently departed crowd were here, but they give their all anyway. This is a band who have found a classic formula and used it to their utmost advantage. Their act comprises of fast paced, energetic, 2-minute, 4-chord punk songs, borrowing from the likes of the Sex Pistols and the Clash. But surely, I hear you cry, this has been done before! There’s nothing new about punk! And yes, it’s entirely true, the Grizzley’s aren’t doing anything new; but to be honest, I don’t think they -or anyone else in the café for that matter- care. Granted, it’s not big, and it’s not clever, but its great fun, so who cares? And when the band playing this music are as self deprecating, energetic, and friendly as these guys are, you can’t help but enjoy it- especially when they close with a song called I Don’t Like You.

Up last tonight are prog-funk virtuosos RETROGRADE INVERSION. It’s sadly unfortunate for these guys that the café is so deserted, as they find themselves in exactly the same position as the last time they played here. And I must confess that I find myself just as baffled at this as my predecessor was at the time, because Retro are an unbelievable aural experience. They are insanely tight and musical, and from the moment they come onstage, they cast a moody, atmospheric aura about them. Solid drumming and funky, groovy bass blend with overdriven, heavy rhythm guitar and trippy, FX laden lead guitar to create a quirky, dark, apocalyptic something which overcomes you and blows your mind. And then there is the vocalist, Louise. Just when you think that the wall of sound made by the band is enough, her soulful voice enters the mix, and you’re lost. At times these guys are so heavy it feels like your senses are going to fail, and yet even at those moments they retain the beautiful melody and harmony that is so much a part of their sound. They do, however, have some work to do on their live act. While they certainly replicate their recorded music flawlessly, and are tight beyond belief, there seems to be little or no interaction between the players. As talented as they all are, it is only the drummer and the lead guitarist who seem to be having any fun. Now, given the size of the band, no-one was expecting onstage acrobatics and dancing around, especially in a performance space as limiting as Plantation, but the simple fact is that the musicians barely even glance at each other during songs, much less interact with each other. They simply stand there facing straight ahead. This is not so much a live act as a recital of their music. Having said that, throughout the entire set they have the café spellbound with their unique sound; and what is their sound? There are clear influences from Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane and Led Zeppelin’s more prog moments, but the great thing about Retrograde Inversion is that they are very much…well… Retrograde Inversion. They go down a storm with those watching; as so they should, because this is real musical talent, and hopefully, the gig-goers of Plantation will one day realise that.

Take Care,

Jamie Webster