Bright Young Things (BYT) is a series of five live gigs showcasing 15 fresh new bands and artists from in and around Leeds. All bands were picked by the BYT panel of judges, and they played at various venues around Leeds throughout the week.

The bands playing ranged from the soul of Bodixa, the blues of Milo, the punk rock of Buen Chico, and the funk of Kava Kava.

Other bands playing throught out the week include Fineapple, Saving Lenny, Silver Sound, A Day Left, Casino, Widescreem, Dave Beebee and the DB2 Band, and Homecut Directive amongst others.

The Delta Volts and The Dead Pets are two very different bands, and they both play the Leeds Metropolitan University on Thursday 4 March.

The Delta Volts who are on first look a bit like The Vines, and sound like Radiohead with an electronic twist, but have none of the insanity of The Vines or don’t even come near to matching the sound or quality of Radiohead. Although there some quite good songs with interesting electronic element too them. However it all cuts abit short of going anywhere in particular, its earnest but ultimately dissapointing.

The Dead Pets, however are entirely different, they’re a ska-punk band and usually they’re annoyingly rubbish with no tunes and crap haircuts and irritating saxophones. However although The Dead Pets do have a saxophonist who sports a huge white mohican, so they have the haircuts too, as well as a trumpet player. But The Dead Pets do actually possess some quite good punky songs. Although most of their songs sound the same, the band come on sounding like a cross between The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Madness, with a bit of the aggressiveness of Less Than Jake which makes them quite fun.

The lead singer looking like a crapper but cheesier version of Joe Strummer, and the whole band up for it and pounding out the tunes. Although not enough to be different or convert those not gemerally into ska-punk bands. They do manage to get most of the crowd dancing around and going nuts, which almost reaches hysterical heights.

The following night on Friday 5 March at the Leeds Warehouse Parisman who are headlining the final gig of the BYT series of gigs, replacing Four Day Hombre at the last minute, end up being magnificent.

Parisman who have been around Leeds for a couple of years, have two singers the bassist Paul Halloran who has quite a low gravelly voice which sounds a bit like the singer from The Cooper Temple Clause, and the drummer who James Scholes quite a high voice. The two voices work really well together.

They play a fast and furious set of rough and edgy soaring hard rock, with a lot of synths and effects in their songs that makes it very large and futuristic sounding, particularly with the help of the fantastic sound system manages to fill out the room. The band look like they're tearing their instruments a part trying too getting them amazing riffs out, and with some catchy, hook filled songs they manage to take in some prog rock and still sound amazing.

They have songs that sound like a mixture between Cave In and The Cooper Temple Clause, and one where they get as heavy as Deftones. But there is a poppy and catchy element which underlines all of the riffs and melodies and which really drag you in, which are also really intense and rock at the same time. They cover a wide range of styles and influences and are very promising.

Parisman are the band of the week.

Ben Bradford

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