Jane Oddy has sent in her review of local band Four Day Hombre.

Monday 1 September 2003, The Vine, Leeds

Up to a few months ago The Vine was just like any other town centre drinking hole which had escaped the 'wine-bar' changeover of the 1990s.

Now though, it has moved up with the times. Since the closure of the famous Duchess of York (sight of such acts as Oasis and Leeds' own The Music) and The Town and Country Club, Leeds' image as a music venue has diminished.

The launch of Transmission nights at the Vine appears to be changing that and seemed the ideal venue for another Leeds band, Four Day Hombre to stamp their mark of authority on their adopted home town.

FDH, championed by Radio 1 and Leeds' very own DJ Chris Moyles, are a breath of fresh air to the Leeds music scene.

The juxtaposition of explosive guitars with watertight harmonies with lines such as All's Well With A Good Complexion (from Too Cool) sticking in your mind long after the music has died.

Their fan-base seems to be growing and on this performance it is no surprise. The lads are on a high, following the release of their single
First Word Is the Hardest which reached a chart position of 80, sandwiched between Tatu and The Cheeky Girls (not many bands can ever say that!).

I have seen FDH a number of times (my favourite was the Naked Bar Guitar acoustic set at Joseph Well, but hey I digress), and I have to say like a
good wine, they mature with age.

The title track of their single, the harmonised First Word effortlessly develops into a rock version of the Kate Bush hit Running Up That Hill
without you even noticing the changeover. That is where the talent of these guys shines over and above many of the other Leeds bands.

The hour or so set list follows this same pattern. The stand out tracks were the ones on the single (my personal favourite being Resolve) but only
because they were the ones most commonly known to the audience.

Other strong tracks included Single Room and Place We Can Stay.

The band seem to be enjoying themselves and this comes through in the strong vocals of Simon and Rich who put 100% effort into every line they sing and every chord they play. As do the rest of the band.

They are true professionals and are loving it! Their enthusiasm takes us along for the ride and it is one you will not forget.

You will struggle to find a more finely tuned band in Leeds. Check them out, you will not be disappointed.

Jane Oddy