Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Ah, now that's a good start to a gig - Thrones of Roll iced cupcakes available as you walk in. Add in the balloons and the jovial atmosphere, and it could be a kiddies birthday party. Although I wouldn't let any kids of mine near these bands - they could pick up fleas or some contagious illness.

Indigo Fury, with a suitably out of breath and probably penalty-pointed drummer following his dash up the road, kick things off (with emphasis on the kick) with their metally rock-sleaze of Hurts So Good. It's classic rock but with a contemporary spin, a punk sensibility if you will, limiting any pretensions, and resulting in a Future Of The Left attack of catchy riffs and deviant rock and roll. If You Want Me is melodic country riff rock with hints of Zeppelin and Bowie, and represents a change from the funkier This Song. They do exactly what they're supposed to, and get us suitably warmed up.

Sandwiched in the middle of the bill tonight are the band most of the crowd are here to see - Thrones Of Roll, tonight officially launching their new Videostore EP. Opening with a new track, Highway, it's a pounding, driving hard-rock start to their set, before the slower powerful grunge of Forked Fingers. Rise Up is proceeded by a few heckles from the raucous but friendly crowd, possibly prompted by the earlier appearance of oldie Hurricane. And Voodoo Period is left to the guitars as Shane exits the stage allowing the riffs to rightly be front and centre. Videostore pounds out as Shane makes his return, in the now customary Clockwork Orange make-up and bad Bill Cosby dancing, bringing sleazey fun times to the partying crowd. All before relative normality is resumed for the Beatles-grunge of Dead Dogs Bones to close a triumphant set.

This puts Delerium Tremens in an unfortunate position - having to follow the stars of the night. And it shows for the crowd has already thinned out a bit before they take the stage. Showing a wonderfully blatant disregard for our senses, they slam straight into the loud uncompromising It Makes Me Feel Like This. This is before settling into a relatively grungish rock groove, hitting high points on the dirty Primus/Radiohead collision that is Hurts, and Dressing Gown - the latter built on a hypnotic beat and sneering riff. By the end the place is (unfortunately, disgracefully) an empty room as they (or the time of the night) prove too hardcore for most of crowd. It's a shame, and you can tell that it hurts them - but their time will come again.

William Johnston