Once again, I’m proud to say that several hours before doors opened tonight, Plantation have run out of advance tickets, and that by the time the opening band are onstage, people are being turned away, as the café is full to capacity. This always signifies a great gig to come, and I’m glad to say that a great gig it has been;

Unfortunately, the guitarist for the opening band is this reviewer, so without further ado- onwards to the next band!

Second up are TAMERLANE, who, since their last performance here, have replaced their drummer and got rid of the keyboard they used in some songs. They open strongly, and instantly show everyone what they’re made of, style-wise. Atmospheric alternative rock is the name of their game, with a subtle tip of the cap to grunge and post grunge bands such as Soundgarden and Staind. The two guitars play well off each other, with the classic rhythm chords and lead lines interlinking well. The bass is (unusually) an extremely powerful instrument in itself with these guys. Hefty slides, slaps, and intricate bass lines give the songs an extra bit of power, and pull the band together well. The singer, as with last time, has a very powerful voice, with a strong range and excellent control. He is also a good frontman, who, while he doesn’t move around too much, holds himself with a certain confidence that stays on the right side of cocky. He does seem to have a strange habit of wandering off into the crowd and just watching the band during instrumental or solo sections of the songs, and this confuses everybody a little, but it doesn’t really detract that much from the entire act. Above all else, perhaps, since their last performance here, Tamerlane appear to have found a real connection with their music and each other; whereas before they appeared as a group of very talented session musicians playing tight, well written music together, now they appear as a tight, connected band, who love their music, and bloody enjoy it.

Good luck to them.

Headlining, once again are the NEON LIGHTS. Having impressed the hell out of the crowd at their last gig tonight is surely a challenge for them to maintain that standard, and impress us once more. As their set begins I catch a glance at their set list, and the one thing I instantly notice is the amount of new material they are playing. Indeed, the general feeling of tonight’s set is that of new beginnings- the 2 or 3 new songs they do play, the extra effects or parts they have added to several of their old songs, and the apologetic statement after closer Omar Road that ‘that’ll probably be the last time you hear that song for quite a while…’. However, this newness is by no means a bad thing, as the new songs are fantastic- tightly played, catchy and uplifting! They signal a new direction for the Neon boys, and also that they appear to have found a distinctive sound of their own. Gone is the reggae–rock of Take it Back, the metal riffage of Lightning Strikes Twice, and even the sing-along chorusing of Omar Road, but in its place is a sound and a style that is so distinctly Neon Lights that it can’t help but work for them; the wailing vocals (now with backing harmonies), the whammy-laden melodic solo action, and of course lots of double kick from the drummer. They’ve redeemed themselves from last year, they’ve set themselves a solid base of impressed fans, and now, they are progressing with a sound that can only take them up and up. As their opening song says;

‘I know where we come from, where we’re going, and where we’ll end’.

Wherever it is, lads, it’s somewhere good.

Take care,

Jamie Webster