Viernes 22 Feb 2008, 3:18
You'd expect that One Night Only did not expect to be recent top 10 visitors when they booked this tour. Why else would you book Cafe Drummond, a venue more suited to Shed Seven tribute acts and occasionally the surprisingly less popular Rick Witter himself, and submit a potentially huge crowd to its meagre standing space? Perhaps it's because they'd heard of the venue's excellent sound, a factor which has made some of the nation's less celebrated acts sound like world beaters in the past. One thing is for sure, with such a young audience (it's 14+ tonight) in residence, bar service is but a dream.
First act tonight is Nick Hamilton and his band whose brand of reggae mixed with heavy guitar imparts an innovative departure, however they simultaneously sound as if they're shacking off the shackles of a former life as a The Police tribute act. In order to do this, Hamilton has clearly been taking some vocal cues from Jamie T and Luke Pritchard which finds favour and familiarity with the front of a surprisingly large initial crowd. Nick's between song banter is fantastic, however, and he should go far if his material outlasts The Police's current world tour.
I note with interest that after supporting tonight's top 10 heroes, Clocks will be hitting the road with the equally chart-bothering Scouting For Girls. One insipid pop act could be a coincidence, two certainly can't be. That said, what better way to gain exposure to a potentially huge audience? Yes sir, Clocks are either very shit or very shrewd.
It's refreshing to say that evidence points to the latter as the band launch into an impressive swamp-rock introduction, morphing into an intriguing mixture of scuzzy garage rock and candy-like harmonious pop. It's like the Beach Boys meeting Heavy Stereo and actually having a clue who they are and, ignoring a couple of noughties-indie-pop-by-numbers workouts early in the set, the boys put on quite a show.
Four tracks in, a number of ears prick up to an introduction the mirror image of Katrina and the Waves' 'Walking on Sunshine' and collective sighs of relief are audible as it transmutes into great, guitar-led pop. This is immediately followed by the best track of the night which sees vocallists Tom Hewitt and Ed Hilliam share duties on a 60's-tinged sing-a-long displaying a lot more panache than Penate. Equally good is 'Call On Me' which recalls the classic jangle of fifteen year vintage Teenage Fanclub.
Clocks finish with their new single 'Old Valve Radio' which nicely completes the circle with a return to the glam stomp of the opener replete with contemporary 'uh-oh-ohs'. The new disc is not entirely unenjoyable but there's no doubt that Clocks less commercial output trounces their releases to date tonight.
Headliners One Night Only then with a strong act to follow, and the early signs suggest all they've mastered on the trail to the charts is the whereabouts of the 'cool' preset on their synth and how to sing out of tune between excruciating guitar. When the next two songs fail to improve - some awful prog-rock influenced jam and Smartprice Futureheads - I head for the door.