Gig reviews for August 2011

Fringe Thursday, 11th August

Kevin Gaughan reports.

The Summer Sundae Fringe festival is part of the lead up to the highly acclaimed and very popular Summer Sundae three day festival that takes place in and around De Montfort hall and gardens.

Fringe Thursday is an evening of solid entertainment encompassing eight venues which comprise seven music venues and one comedy with an old-fashioned double decker bus transporting punters from venue to venue.

The Fringe bus © Kevin Gaughan

The whole night costs a fiver which includes entry to everything and as many bus rides as you like!

I tried to take in as many of the gigs as possible, while staying long enough to appreciate each artist.

First stop, for me, was the Soundhouse, having sufferred a few injuries from the previous two nights of rioting that had taken place over the country, the Soundhouse proved she's a fighter, with boarded up windows, nothing was going prevent her from hosting another quality gig.

Jack Kenworthy © Kevin Gaughan

First on, Mr Jack Kenworthy and his band. These guys are young and seriously talented, I've seen them a few times now and they never fail to please. Having recently won the Orginal Bands Showcase, 2011, it is clear that they've got a great future. Jack has the most amazing voice, similar to Jamie Callum and top quality song writing ability.

Jack Kenworthy © Kevin Gaughan

Tonight at the Soundhouse, Jack and his band were on top form, you could feel the emotion from Jack's voice who had the entire audience in the packed Soundhouse absolutely transfixed on his performance, not even a whisper from the bar was to be heard. People had even put their next pint on hold until the interlude!

Again, a faultless, quality performance from this young trio from Leicester.

Jack Kenworthy on MySpace.

Click here to watch Jack Kenworthy's performance at the gig.

A quick dash over to the Shed revealed 'We're Not Worthy' on full throttle, a young six piece from Leicester, who set the Shed on Fire, the venue was full, sweaty and rocking on full rock throttle.

were not worthy
We're Not Worthy © Kevin Gaughan

With their range of semi-screamo sounds, the crowd loved them, as I did, too. They came across as being a great, good-fun band, maybe with more of an emphasis on fun rather than quality, but who can blame them, with a crowd like that, they were riding off the energy that was bouncing back off the audience.

We're Not Worthy on MySpace.

Click here or here to watch We're Not Worthy's performance at the gig.

were not worthy
We're Not Worthy © Kevin Gaughan

Over to the Soundhouse again to find the 'Little Night Terrors' in mid-performance. The three piece Indie band from Leicester played a polished, tight-as-you-like set of their own guitar based indie sounds.

Little Night Terrors © Kevin Gaughan

They looked and sounded like a quality outfit with their songs easily able to gain commercial recognition, either on the radio or otherwise, instantly likable and insanely addictive.

Little Night Terrors © Kevin Gaughan

The stage show was totally involving and entertaining to watch, and again the crowd loved them.

Little Night Terrors on MySpace.

Click here to watch Little Night Terror's performance at the gig.

Off to the Shed for 'Some May Run' and their Screamo sounds. The crowd had thinned out a bit from when I was at the Shed earlier, but that may just have been down to the slightly unpredictable bus times, as they still had their fans in the audience.

Some May Run © Kevin Gaughan

Although being of Screamo in nature, their music still had a healthy mixture of high-octane metal and slower, mellower parts which were a good contrast. Fantastic and entertaining stage show, too, yeah, liked these guys.

Some May Run on MySpace.

Click here to watch Some May Run perform at the gig.

Then off to the Soundhouse for Kyte, a four piece from Leicester who are signed to a Japanese label, Rallye, they've got an album and a Japanese tour under their belts!

kyte
Kyte © Kevin Gaughan

Kyte had to offer their unique blend of delicate vocal gymnastics, oodles and oodles of piercing, atmospheric synth with lashings of guitar, all delivered with raw passion.

kyte
Kyte © Kevin Gaughan

Enhanced to the nth degree by the Soundhouse' atmospheric and dynamic lighting, these guys have a curious, addictive and fascinating sound. It's a big sound, too, although there were only three of them on the night, between them they played two guitars, three keyboards, a drum kit and vocals - not to mention the various twiddly bits and pedals on the floor!

kyte
Kyte © Kevin Gaughan

This is the first time I've seen Kyte and impressed, I was. Their reputation preceeds them, I can see why, a truly unique slant on electro, guitary music, initially your curiosity guides you in as Nick Moon's vocals stand out, then the song becomes fascinating and tugs at your raw musical senses not letting go, leaving you wanting more.

Kyte on MySpace.

Click here or here to watch Kyte's performance at the gig.

Off to the Shed to just catch 'Arms of Atlas'. Having packed Sub91 last year, again, their reputation preceeds them. Having arrived at the Shed, I could see why. Pure, unadulterated rock, again the Shed was a mass of heaving, sweaty bodies.

The venue was pulsating, throbbing, even, with the rock that was unfolding within it. There were five of them on the stage and they were performing as though they were at the Birmingham NEC. They felt far too big for the Shed, like Aerosmith or AC/DC performing in your local boozer.

It was plain to see how these guys could fill the 450 capacity Sub91. The production and sound was big and serious, pure, unadulterated, ROCK, played and performed perfectly by masters at their game.

Arms of Atlas on the internet.

Click here to watch Arms of Atlas' performance at the gig.

Finishing off my night I stumbled into Firebug to find 'Codex Leicester' blasting the place to smithereens with their flavour of high-speed but delicately done melodic Indie/rocky/fast stuff.

Full of energy with full-on in your face but not quite screamo vocals, lovely, lovely stuff. They've been working on their debut album, have been gigging in London, Birmingham and Leicester and have only been together for a few months!

I look forward to seeing these chaps again.

Codex Leicester on the internet.

Click here to watch Codex Leicester's performance at the gig.

Wow, what a fantastic night that was, and it was so nice to see the venues full with everyone getting into the spirit of the night. Perhaps we should have more nights like these in Leicester, a nightmare to organise, no doubt, but great fun and fantastic for the Leicester music scene.