So I'm sat in that small town high street pub waiting to see what delights the Littlehampton Alternative Rock Society have for us this month. There's quite a buzz in the air tonight as there are quite a few music fans here, ready and waiting for the night to begin.
First up we had Ichiro, a four piece band mainly based around Horsham with a local lad in the mix too. Describing themselves as 'An Extraterrestrial black magic rock quartet', I can totally understand that as their music was out of this world! The guys energy on stage right from the start was lively and enthralling, completely drawing the crowd in and getting them moving along with them, yet remaining absolutely confident and calm while performing.
One of the tracks that gripped me was 'Reminisce'. Starting off with a more reggae guitar riff and toe tapping drums, it really gets you moving with the band even though the lyrics themselves are on a slightly more sombre subject. About halfway through the track it takes on a more haunting feel with the vocals and music, before punching back into that funky beat. I also enjoyed the track ' I Won't Let You Down'. This was a fast paced, driving beat track, with a slightly funky riff to it. Starting off with the vocals, it then kicks into that funky guitar and bass led riff with a pounding drum beat behind it.
The energy that the guys put into this track was immense, you can hear the sweeping guitar under some of the main vocal breaks along with that pounding bass beat. A real headbanger of a track. The whole set was absolutely amazing and such good fun. You definitely won't be able to stay still to these guys.
Next up we hadBad Billy Band, a five piece band hailing from Worthing area. Starting off as a solo act before becoming the five piece they are now, they are a British folk rock band. The guys on stage presence is so relaxed yet energetic as is the nature of their music, but you can tell they absolutely have a blast while performing and give off a great vibe.
The track they launched their set off with 'All Said And Done' was a real rockin' track. Fast paced beats with a folk sound, melodic guitar solos with dynamic lyrics and vocals, you just had to move your feet to this one, it was that kinda 'rock your socks off' beat! I truly enjoyed this one.
Another track that got me was 'Gunsmoke' a slightly slower pace track but it had that down and dirty southern rock feel to it with the lyrics and back beat. The guitar riffs are muted under the main part of the lyrics but have that driving rhythm to them adding to the passion of the track. The guys absolutely rocked the set with their style and enthusiasm for their music, engaging the crowd and had the pub foot tapping and dancing with them.
I was so ready to keep on rockin' with the headline band Junkyard Choir, a duo from Brighton. The guys describe themselves as a 'Dirty blues, powerhouse duo, 100% rum sipping southcoast blues/grunge explosion' and wow! they certainly did explode onto the stage. The guys passion on stage was incredible, matched only by their enthusiasm for their music.
Kicking straight in with a real bluesy riff and pounding beat, the track 'Let The Good Times Roll' definitely shows that 'dirty blues' description. Starting off subtly before letting the riffs and drums get heavier and more powerful, then ending on a faster beat. Another one I enjoyed was 'Oh Have Mercy' A slightly Caribbean feel to the beginning of this guitar riff with a slower pace to the beat. Soulful lyrics with that gritty blues sound to them make this track have more of a southern rock feel to it.
'The Border' has an interesting riff to begin with, it sounds like something you'd get from a kill bill/pulp fiction/ Quentin Tarantino showdown. After the initial riff it kicks into a fast tempo, thumping drum beat before the melodic guitar comes back in. The deep gritty vocals add to the dynamics of this track. We truly had a blast watching these guys perform. They had the whole joint rockin' out with them to the point I was amazed they were still standing after that explosive set.
So after it was all over and we were kicking back to Metal Meyhem Radio's tunes.... I realised the blues had got to me ..... but in a good way!!
Thanks to The LARS for another fantastic event, thanks to The Crown for hosting us, and a huge thanks to all the bands for completely rocking us!, and thanks to Metal Meyhem Radio for allowing me to interview these amazing bands and to write this blog.
Rock on!
\m/
Siobhan Trigg x
This Article was writen by Siobhan Tigg from our partner Metal Meyhem Radio.
The original article can be found here. Article ©Metal Meyhem Radio 2017.