Yet first appearances can be deceptive. The line up of guitars adjacent to the stage provide some indication of what is to come, as vocalist/guitarist Tommy introduces the band with little hint of the aggression that is about to be delivered.
 | | 3 Children of Fortune (photo: Ged Camera |
The opening lines to Grenade are softly spoken, followed by that familiar, early lull, before this three piece positively combust into action and the rest are flung out with a "gabba, gabba, hey hey" ferocity that scorches the cobwebs from the bowels of the cramped environs that form the Retro bar. As the final chords of the song dies away, a calmness is temporarily restored, waiting for Tommy, Steve (bass) and Lee (drums) to inflict the next slice of deliciously raw intensity at us. A set of simple, rising intensity, occasionally overlaid with screamed vocals is not the only chord they know; Bremen is a more restrained affair, and new single S.F. veers more along the heavier, grungier road. Don't hold that against them though, this Kent based trio appear to have a swagger and confidence that revitalises you just listening to them and tires you out just watching. The Manchester based Khyber Pass take their place on a stage at Retro bar, a place only marginally larger than a toilet cubicle.
 | | Khyber Pass (photo: Ged Camera) |
When there are five band members, this in itself would prove difficult enough, but for their occupation of the stage, they play their own, looped tape whilst standing just of stage. At the acknowledged point, they all appear and attempt to negotiate the obstacle course of foot pedals and instruments. The keyboardist is positively jammed against the wall for the duration of the set, so much so that when his micstand falls over, someone else has to retrieve it for him. Undeterred, they launch into their versions of intense blitzkriegs of noise glory, interspersed with more relaxed, less intense meanderings. If we are in the throes of a 70s revival, then it looks like the increasingly popular musical trend is for song durations of the prog-rock era, and tonight the songs rarely reside within the typical 3 minute pop span. Perhaps Explosions In the Sky are having an impact in inverse proportion to their record sales, as nuances of such an influence are perceptible in the frenetic build up, the intense, chiming guitars and the dramatic, false endings. With a voice that seems to be an amalgam of all things American, whether it be the half strangled utterance of Bruce Springsteen or the semi spoken manner of Tom Waits, it does suit the overall sound and the occasional
rolling piano licks provide a respite from the guitar interplay. All in, not a bad start to the new year | 
