Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Band for a quid, get your band for a quid. Well, that's what they should have been shouting outside. And it would probably have been cheap at thrice the price.

Up first, Acadian, doing a spin on the AOR thing. It's Fleetwood Mac post-alt-college rock, all feeling very worthy with the acoustic guitar and split male/female vocals. 'Sun Shine On Me' is nice retro pop although it's not re-inventing the wheel, but it is good solid song-writing, while their closer loses the acoustic and has a Detroit Cobras vibe with its rock and roll feel. Solid foundations for a band to build from.

The organisers of our soiree are on next, The Varionis (pronunciation is up to you - everyone seemed to struggle over the evening). They're very much the contemporary British guitar sound that's come along in the wake of the Libertines, bands like The View and The Fratellis - quick bouncy poppy guitar and rhythms with almost indecipherable lyrics. '24 Hour Bar', is catchy engaging pop and could easily fit in with the above mentioned contemporaries, while 'I'm On The Outside' has a slight touch of The Las in its indie hooks, while 'The Falling Man' is the love-child of The View and Stiff Little Fingers. It's a very British type of sound, done well, and with enough catchiness to keep us hooked till it's over.

Continuing the bill are The Cutaways, one of the bright things of the local scene, and it's easy to see why. It's punky pop, with a twist, taking the absurdity of music and playing with it. The easiest comparison would probably be another of our own, Oppenheimer, or heading down south Fight Like Apes, in that it's got that quirky poppishness, with whoo-hoos and melodies bouncing around in a way that should be criminal. 'Wherever It Takes Me' is accompanied by a quickly denied story alleging that sexual favours may have been exchanged for publicity, but they wouldn't need to with their Fall meets Arcade Fire by way of Gary Numan and Oppenheimer sound. 'I Belong On Your Doorstep' is a wonderfully bonkers bit of fun, almost like a garage rock version of the Go! Team.

Our headliners tonight are special guests smuggled in over the border, The Cherries. Initially, they'll attract your attention as there's a great big cello on stage, and no guitars, which is a rarity in the local scene. Added to this eccentricity is a probably unhealthy dose of madness, coming off as they do like an acoustic Moloko with their track 'Avalanche'. 'Anything I Want' is sultry jazzy bluesy, fantastically different to the usual fodder of lads and their guitars, and distinctly un-Irish sound in its soulfulness. 'Taken' is described as cheeky little number, and the class continues with their "dirty sleazy cabaret songs about wanton women". You'd love to pair them with the nu-soul kids on tour purely to scare the audience. There are touches of Nouvelle Vague, Tori Amos and Morphine floating around, and the sheer enthusiasm is beyond catchy. They would work well with say, Greg Dulli. And then there's their covers - Portishead's 'Glory Box', and, to finish off, 'Walk On The Wild Side'. If you get the chance to see them, then you definitely should pop your Cherry.

William Johnston