Local Bands

Two-piece outfit The Old Romantic Killer Band comprise singer and guitar player, Harry Johns and drummer, Greg Holland. They have been announced as one of the many artists from our region to play the BBC Introducing Stage at this years Leeds and Reading festivals. With this in mind, I thought I would go and check them out.

After listening to some of their tunes posted online, I thought they were going to be pretty good, something different, and was looking forward to seeing how their music translated into a live setting.

The boys take in some fresh air

Labelled by much of the music press as 'new grunge', the band have had a relative degree of success over the last 12 months. Their album 'A Swan with Two Necks' has received rave reviews and they have been hotly tipped by those in the know, as one of the most promising British bands around. After their brief sound check, we met up and found somewhere quiet to have a quick chat and I asked them who inspired them growing up.

"Sometimes Nick Drake, sometimes Iggy Pop. Those two polar opposites are what we strive to be. In the recordings we like to be more heartfelt and tender. The live shows are important to us, we like to give people a show, not just a throwaway gig which they will forget, sometimes things get broken, sometimes it is chaos. We were inspired as kids by bands like Pantera and Nirvana where the front man persona is such a big part of the music."

I get the sense, especially from Harry, that the ORKB are not your average rock band. Behind his very cool, intelligent exterior there lies the heart of a really sensitive and genuine songwriter. He hints at past life experiences - some good, some bad - all of which he uses in his songs as a kind of musical therapy. Uncomfortable with the 'new grunge' label, they describe their sound as aggressive pop with blues sensibilities. I ask them what it means to be playing at Leeds and Reading this year.

"We are obviously aware of the enormity of the festivals, they have so much history, it was the first ever festival we went to, so to play at them is great and really exciting. However, to be honest, I think we will approach it as we approach any gig we do, we always give 110%, we want to make any show we do special, whether playing to 17 people in a pub or 70,000 at a massive festival."

Harry rocks at the Royal Park Cellars

Busy chatting, we realised the show had already started, so I head inside. I managed to catch support band Montana. Having never heard them, I was a little taken back when I walked back into the venue to find a rather large fellow in his pants, sporting bare feet and standing behind a tiny keyboard. What the hell was going on? As the heavily distorted guitars kicked in, I felt like I'd been smacked in the face! The ferocious double bass pedal work mixed with crazed post-hardcore screams made for an intense atmosphere. If this is your thing and you can hack the audio assault, I thoroughly recommend them.

There has been maybe a handful of shows that I have been to, where I have genuinely been speechless afterwards. I once saw Radiohead in a sports hall when I was about 16, their first album had just come out - it was one of those shows, a show where you just know that they are special and transcend musical genres. Tonight, I can honestly say, was another show like that.

The small, dark basement room of the Royal Park Cellars had got hot. There was a fair few people there by this point and sweat was dripping from the ceiling. I could feel the anticipation of the fans that had seen the Old Romantic Killer Band before - aware of what they were about to witness.

As tonight was the last night of their tour, there was a party atmosphere. Harry was swigging wine from the bottle and Greg was clearly staggering as he sat behind the drum kit. The nice, polite chaps from the interview before, had vanished, and in there place were two angry noise machines. Harry's raw, bluesy vocals, coupled with savage guitar riffs and Greg's steam engine drumming made for an intense start to their set.

Now this..... is rock 'n' roll!!

To pigeonhole this band is difficult. At a push they are part Hendrix, part Black Keys. There are elements of bands like Nirvana, the Ramones and Led Zeppelin, but they are so much more than that. As a front man, Harry is heartfelt - he means every word he sings and bangs his guitar off objects and people, darting from one side to the other. Greg, although imprisoned by his drum kit, is also mesmerising, he has a large sound which perfectly compliments the large, meaty riffs being thrown around.

Highlights are 'Girl, You Have All The Fun', 'The Devil & Me' and 'Riders'. The crowd love them, many of them know the words, some seem in a trance, willing to do what ever they are told. It is at this point that things go a bit odd. Harry has finished his wine and is cavorting on the floor with his guitar. After one last mighty riff, he throws his guitar down and grabs the microphone. Greg carries on drumming while Harry takes the microphone outside the building and orders the audience to follow him, which they do. From my vantage point, safely inside the venue, there are sounds of screams and shouting, with Harry's Robert Johnson like vocals cutting through it all. The now frenzied front man exits the building, leaving his followers dumbfounded and outside. Greg hits the drums and kicks them over, as the audience run back in cheering and clapping. It was all over and I was exhausted.

The showmanship, music with depth and lyrics that will make you cry, make up the sheer awesome talent that is the Old Romantic Killer Band. Whatever your taste, they are special and vastly more interesting than a lot of 'hotly tipped' bands. The album and the soon-to-be-released single 'Riders' are great songs, and would stand out in any record collection, but this band are all about the live performance. I can't wait to see them again on the BBC Introducing Stage at the Leeds Festival. I really hope they do well and they get the recognition they so clearly deserve.