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Twelve Apostles,
Westleigh
28th April 2006
 On
a breezy Friday evening in the middle of Westleigh there lies a quiet,
unsuspecting club, seemingly unaware that it’s about to be ripped apart
by four ferocious, loud and lairy local bands.
On first appearance, the 12 Apostles looks like the sort of gaff your
granddad might head to for a swift pint of ale and a quiet game of
cards. Yet as The LINC step inside and are greeted by Mohawks, baggy
pants and the occasional ‘Offspring hoody, it becomes apparent that what
we’re in for tonight, is anything but ‘a quiet game of cards’, as new
boys to the local scene, Suckerpunch Promotions take charge for the
night.
For all intents and purposes, we’re gonna call tonight a punk night
(you’ll get why later), even though opening act This Devastated Fan are
a far from a punk band.
Formed from the ashes of Quick Exit, TDF display all the confidence and
smoothness of a band who’ve been doing this just long enough to be
comfortable on stage, whilst still hungry to improve their game.
Lead vocalist Robbie may seem a little timid as he talks to the audience
between songs, yet cue the music and he rocks out like a natural-born
frontman, leading the rest of his band through a tight, powerful set.
Tinkering with a tint of ‘Sixteen Stone’ era Bush, TDF throw a bit of
grunge into their metal-lite mix, resulting in a stomping, thumping show
that even the most seasoned of local acts would have a hard time to
beat.
So you’ve got to feel sorry for punk outfit (see, this is where the punk
starts!), Cockpit, who take to the stage next, and seem to be having a
rather bad time of it all. Comparisons to seminal punk heroes NOFX are
likely to come thick and fast for this lot, from the snarling guitars to
the bassist, who for all the world reminds us of punk rock messiah, Fat
Mike (which, we assure you, is most certainly a compliment!).
Indeed, when they do strike up the guitars and let rip with some
furiously turbulent punk, Cockpit are quite good. Sadly however, they
spend most of their time playfully bickering with each other, seemingly
an attempt to hide their embarrassment as it takes them almost five
minutes to re-tune their instruments after every song.
At first it’s understandable, after all, who hasn’t had a bit off
difficulty with something at one time or another? Yet after a while,
unfortunately it all gets a bit tedious, and though the band do manage
about five or six songs in their bodged-up set, there’s that much
faffing about in between that many people seem to have lost interest.
Which is a shame, as Cockpit show plenty of potential and youthful
exuberance, and with a bit more time, and a lot more experience, they
could be a force to be reckoned with.
Something that Leigh outfit, Second 2 Last, are quickly becoming.
Quietly picking up an impressive following thanks to a string of live
shows, namely at Leigh’s Hogan’s Bar, where, embodying the spirit of
punk, the lads have sorted themselves out as Suckerpunch Promotions and
put on their own shows, Second 2 Last put on a great show.
Everything you could ask for in a good punk band is on display tonight;
irascible guitars, ironical, petulant vocals and baggy basslines that
fit around everything like a pair of loose fitting DC Jeans, all
hammered home by a relentless drummer who batters his skins black and
blue.
As a small army of fans make their way to the front, Second 2 Last treat
them a great display in Punk Rock 101. True, there’s nothing highly
original on offer here, yet that’s not what’s really important here.
What matters Is the music, and this music rocks.
By a happy coincidence, our old friends, Testosterone take to the stage
next to round things off with their boisterous brand of puerile
pop-punk. Just as daft as ever, if there’s anything we haven’t already
said about Testosterone, then it’s simply not worth mentioning, as the
monstrous ‘Twister’ marks the start of another bout of madness, mayhem,
and bloody good tunes.
By all accounts, this is your run-of-the-mill Testosterone show;
irreverent lyrics and melodic riffs mixed with comical 80’s-rock stage
antics and, erm, a pink guitar, though it’s nonetheless as enjoyable as
ever. Indeed, if you’ve ever seen these boys before, you’ll know what to
expect.
However, upon our return from checking out the karaoke night across the
street (what? Do you really need us to stick around just so that we can
tell you how good ‘Emo Girl’ is for the millionth time?), something
seems to have happened that nobody could ever have really expected. The
crowd has rushed the stage, taking over the show and dancing along to
every song as vocalist Dave Costello, guitarist Ian Graham and bassist
Matt Higham vie for room on the now packed stage and resort to taking it
in turns at rocking out on the dancefloor.
It’s an awesome sight, and one that reaffirms the fact that, even on an
average day, Testosterone have what it takes to put on a cracking show.
Recommended Links:
www.myspace.com/suckerpunchpromotions – Suckerpunch Promotions at
Myspace.
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