Berkshire's
unsigned music scene opened up their hearts and their wallets
at Bar Oz last night, as Luisa Seacroft of Unsigned Showcase once
again drew the masses in to witness five bands to raise funds
for children living with AIDS as part of the One World Beat Global
Music Festival.
With
compere extraordinaire Jim Bowes leading the festivities - ably
assisted by a handful of band members, friends and local scene
regulars - the night was a total success musically as well as
fiscally as around £500 was raised by the end of the evening.
Kevin
Harrington, the man behind the Josaka website which recently
launched a compilation CD of Berkshire bands, deserves special
credit for selling off copies of the CD on the night and donating
all proceeds to the cause.
Perennial
favourites Three Litre were actually opening the whole event as
they were the first band out of the entire One World Global Music
Festival gigs to start playing.
Frontman
Graham's friendship with uber-rockers The Darkness seems to have
rubbed off on his playing, as both new songs such as "Usually
Scared" and old favourites like "Girl from the Industry" were
delivered with extra wails and solo's from his guitar.
The
crowd joined in on choruses as Graham and bass player Pete cavorted
around on the stage, and drummer Dazza gave possibly his best
stage show so far, running around Bar Oz hitting a cowbell as
the finale to the Ski-Sunday inspired "Downhill".
Their
witty pub rock is more creditable than most people are happy to
admit.
They
weren't the opening act; as far as they were concerned they just
had four warm-down bands after them.
Jim
Bowes (the compere/TV celebrity, not the cartoon aeroplane) kept
things moving along before Crowthorne-based Rebus brought their
own brand of catchy, groove-filled punk to the stage - Dr. Who
scarves and guitars flying all over the place as they stomped
their way through "Style", one of the tracks featured on the Josaka
"Who?" CD.
The
vocal duties were swapped around, synthesizers were brought out
and played with abandon as the crowd lapped up their energy and
the finger-snapping qualities of the edgy pop-rock tunes they
deliver.
While
the smoked cleared from the stage Jim Bowes brought an edge
of sobriety to the evening by reading out a letter of thanks
from the mother of a child afflicted with the AIDS virus.
Credit
to him for being able to do this respectfully, bringing over the
more serious nature of the night without dampening anyone's spirits,
which were - as is customary on a Thursday night at Bar Oz - high
and lively.
It
was a poignant reminder of why everyone was working so hard, and
Jim's contribution to the cause was augmented by raffling off
various prizes, some donated by himself, which all helped keep
the coffers ticking over as Andy Stedman from Sequoia and others
went around pestering (in the nicest possible sense!) people to
buy raffle tickets.
Fresh
from fund-raising duties, Seqouia took to the stage armed with
their easy-listening, melodic, Lightning Seeds-esque stylings.
Sporting the second Paisley Telecaster of the night (after Graham
from Three Litre), Sequoia brought an inoffensive and professional
display to the night, and looked as though they thoroughly enjoyed
themselves doing it.
Not
really being into the harmless, middle-of-the-road songs that
Sequoia play, I struggled to stay awake for most of their set.
Matt
Hickin, of local act Return to Zero described them as being "…a
Debenhams sort of band… offensive through their inoffensiveness".
Big
Wednesday came on next, wielding their instruments with real purpose
and provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the crowd, who
were by now filling out the entire venue.
Their
song "Bright Blue Lightning" being just one of the highlights
of their energetic and upbeat set. For a band whose songs are
built around an acoustic guitar, they can certainly rock out when
they choose to.
Both
bands do a very good line in melodies and song construction, but
whereas people failed to be grabbed by Sequoia - who perhaps weren't
playing in front of "their" audience - they seemed more enamoured
with Big Wednesday.
However,
the night's real talking point were Caged Baby, the final act
of the night - their previous gig at the 3B's in Reading has since
gone down into local folklore, and many turned up at Bar Oz out
of morbid curiosity. They were not disappointed.
All
in their mid-to-late teens, they provided a great visual spectacle
with plastered make-up and spiky hair.
Many
were distinctly unimpressed with their lack of musical ability
- although no-one could argue with the show they put on, which
was hugely entertaining, gripping even.
The
band even professed to not being able to play their instruments,
but the cacophany they produce goes straight out the other side
of "terrible" and into a realm where people wearing berets and
goatee beards (of the much-stroked variety) would all nod approvingly
at their rebellion against the strict laws governing music and
performance.
Personally
I thought they were amazing, I haven't been struck by a gig in
this way in a very long time, and people haven't stopped talking
about it on the Bersklive grapevine since they got home from Bar
Oz.
I
say the scene can only benefit from Caged Baby, who make Talking
Heads look like an Osmonds tribute act. As far as concept-orientated
"art" bands go (say, Franz Ferdinand to use a modern example)
Caged Baby are the heavyweight champs of the world. I wouldn't
have their music on in my car or at home, but I'll be going to
as many of their gigs as I can.
At
the end of this gig, the drummer came out in front of his kit
with his snare drum (still hitting it in whatever time he was
keeping), then french-kissed the guitarist, and then punched him
to the floor where they fought until they fell off the side of
the stage. It wasn't pre-planned, it was anarchic; rock and roll.
Go see them for yourselves, but you may want to take some ear
plugs.
