大象传媒

You'd need to have a heart of stone to not like the 1930s. With a charming, inoffensive alt country folk sound and a cheerful frontman in the shape of Jonny Solari, the band kick off proceedings at the ActionAid charity fundraiser. Regular listeners to Across The Line will be well acquainted with the 1930s' back catalogue, but this reviewer was pleasantly surprised by how well the songs came across live - 听indeed, they're probably stronger live than they are on record, as the vibrant and omnipresent harmonies shine.

They're not exactly revolutionary, adopting simple refrains and lyrical devices, but they execute them very well, three minute folk-pop songs that conclude nicely and have some great drum fills to boot. "Break Your Heart" is a great track, but the standout of the night has to be the finale, a slow burning anthemic track that gradually rises and rises, before culminating in something that's just lovely. Not mindblowing, but lovely.

The Alice Kona Band are a bit of a shambles, an absolutely entertaining one, at that. They swear like pirates and they sound like the first guns of war. They certainly owe a bucketload to the Pixies, and they're reminiscent of Titus Andronicus fed through a series of distortion pedals, with a few doo-wops thrown in for good measure. Things do blend together a bit, making one song barely distinguishable from the other at times, but that may be more due to a lack of experience with Alice Kona's back catalogue.

If you like mazy guitar solos and haphazard performances with none of the band actually knowing what song comes next, you'll like Alice Kona. The band have come on quite significantly since the last time I saw them perform, making some sort of sense out of the madness, and with a new single coming out from the band, it'll be interesting as to where they go to from here.

The crowd's dropped off significantly for A Northern Light, but they still give it their all. Their Marmite-esque brand of pop-punk meets prog-rock may not be to everyone's taste, but their talent is clear to see. Darren Doherty's lyrics may not be worthy of Dylan, but he can certainly deliver them with the poise and precision of a textbook frontman, and you have got to wonder what A Northern Light could do with a venue packed to the rafters with teenage girls who like Blink 182.

Make no mistake though, the band have a clear ability to write a hook. 'The Right Thing To Do' showcases the band in their best light, with some nice synth parts and a trailing chorus that leaves a mark in your consciousness, even if the verses don't. 'A Mother's Call' is another standout track musically, if a little bit cliched at times lyrically. If A Northern Light keep their heads down and continue their hard work, the future could be very bright for them. They might not change your life, but they may well make your day.

Patrick Kane