大象传媒

To be honest, Derry four piece Furlo have left this reviewer dissapointed in the past. But on tonights warm up duties, they pleasantly surprise, entertaining a core following who have arrived early to cheer them on. A rock band with more than a few pop hooks littered through their repertoire, Furlo could be related to the likes of Feeder or Hot Hot Heat. There a tight unit and their tunes are notably more palatable in a live setting. The ingredients for success are all here and new EP 'Signature' might well be the one to take them to the next level.

No Mean City are the buzz band of the moment in the North West. They've recently won an internet competition which could see them play the T In The Park and Download festivals and are also set to play a webcast alongside metal luminaries Trivium. Even though they only formed a few months ago, they look very much at ease. Musically it's pretty generic, a chug like guitar riff here and some angsty lyrics there. You get the idea. Front woman Jilly St John's stage presence and all round sexual energy is the only thing that distinguishes them from a whole host of similar acts who've come and gone in this city in the past few years.

The Nerve Centre is already packed by the time Axis Of take to stage and almost steal the show. They're a band who truly give it everything and the crowd respond in kind as mosh pits and crowd surfing break out throughout the venue. There's a distinct punk DIY feel to them, yet the tracks seem to be so thoughtfully crafted those At The Drive In comparisons were inevitale.

Tonight's headliners And So I Watch You From Afar are outstanding. New(ish) tracks 'S for Salamander' and 'K Is For Killing Spree' sit nicely alongside fine moments from the bands debut LP. Rory Friars passes on some sage advise to a young crowd, telling us no matter what we have a passion for in life to keep on doing it. Inevitably, a blistering version of 'A Little Solidarity' is next.

'Tip Off The Hat, Punch To The Face' gets a rare live outing while the highlight is 'The Voiceless', which leaves us in a big satisfied sweaty heap in the middle of the floor.

Believe the hype.


Words: Paul Mullin
Pic (not from gig): Alan Maguire