Rubyz 3rd May 2009

Exposure – Sunday 3 May 2009, Rubyz Bournemouth

Review by Tamlyn Head

To mark the beginning of summer, this month’s Exposure event, courtesy of the Unsigned Chart, was preceded by an afternoon of barbecuing, allowing each band/artist to get to know each other casually before producing their goods onstage.

First up on the live stage upstairs were rockers from Southampton, BROKEN LINKS. This three-piece band did the rock world proud, with its two guitarists jamming away to a solid percussion beat, reverberating throughout the venue, and producing a sound reminiscent of ‘90s rock band Bush, or a slightly heavier Killers. At times I felt the vocals were drowned out by the instruments and some song’s percussion beats sounded too similar, but all was made well by the two guitarists – lead and bassist – who were able to make their guitars converse, not just talk!
A half hour set of original tracks saw this young band rock the crowd and demonstrate their talent and huge potential.
Broken Links recently took part in the “We Ignite Records” Battle of the Bands and came first in the second heat of this competition, sending them to the final, against three other bands, later this month. A huge accomplishment, so I would like to say, on behalf of the Unsigned Chart, well done and good luck to Broken Links!

THE HAIKU, a Japanese form of poetry but also a UK folk band, at times sounding like Bob Dylan, and other times the Waterboys. With more bands crossing the genre line, incorporating sounds from different musical categories, everyday a new genre is created, with The Haiku adopting the characteristics of one of the newest genres - Power Folk. A description of this genre: “Power folk refers to high energy music played on traditional folk instruments but influenced by college rock, punk and pop.” Dropkick Murphys and The Pogues being two other examples of Power Folk bands. An apt category for The Haiku’s music, this duo produces a surprisingly robust sound than would be imagined from only an acoustic guitar and drums. This sound combined with each song’s heartfelt, true to life lyrics, allows the listener to take away not only a highly enjoyable musical experience, but the feeling that other people are also pondering the meaning of life and the state of the world.
A set of almost all original tracks, the only cover being Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights, which saw The Haiku adapting the song to suit their style, resulting in an upbeat acoustic version of this song – an excellent adaptation.
The Haiku’s music is catchy, easy to listen to, at times raw sounding, but undoubtedly an art form, created by two highly talented and artistic musicians.

JOHN LLEWELLYN, or JFL as he’s more commonly known, serenaded the audience with his smooth, melodious voice and set of ballads, including his renditions of Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight and REM’s cult classic Losing My Religion, both of which were covered impeccably and had the crowd singing along.
Front man JFL is backed up by his acoustic guitarist and together, even though they have been a team for only 3 weeks, they ‘gelled’ - the acoustic guitar a perfect accompaniment for JFL’s smooth, honey-like voice, occasionally sounding like Eagle Eye Cherry. They also managed to perform a few of their own songs, which shows, after such a short time together, how well suited their talents are. Definitely a crowd pleaser in the acoustic lounge, this duo caught my attention and I’d, without a doubt, like to see more of them.

In keeping with the live stage atmosphere, Reading based rock/metal band PRIMITAI rocked the night away (or their half hour set at least), giving the crowd a taste of pure rock ‘n roll. This 5-piece band, complete with three guitarists, a drummer and singer, gave a Guns ‘n Roses worthy performance, tried to limit themselves to the fairly small stage, but halfway through their set the singer could no longer handle the constraints, left the stage, leapt up the adjoining stairs and sang and played air guitar a while from up there. This improvisation won the crowd over, if the band itself hadn’t already done that.
With a definite hard rock/metal sound, Primitai at times sound like Metallica, and include the types of guitar riffs that I haven’t heard in a long time, a throw back to nineties hard rock and metal.

Back in the acoustic lounge and TALL DARK FRIEND who gave, as usual, an amazing performance, once again wowing the audience with his out-of-this-world keyboard skills, full range vocals, and sheer musical talent.
Having recently signed a recording deal with the Unsigned Chart, TDF is currently working on a new album whose release is set to coincide with the Unsigned Chart’s beach stage in Bournemouth in August. Working with TDF on this album, and helping with the production I am told, is legendary singer/song writer John Parr, whose expertise can only make TDF’s already bright future even brighter. I expect this forthcoming album to take TDF to new heights, and although it will probably be quite different from his previous work (because TDF’s unique sound is borne out of experimentation), it will, without a doubt, carry the hallmarks of his music, which currently appeals to music lovers across the genre board, as TDF aims to gather fans with different musical appreciations, leaving nothing in his wake but his very own avid fan base.

Bournemouth based unisex rock band PEACHY JANE graced us with their presence on the live stage. I always like a hard rock band with female vocalists, as it introduces a new element to hard rock and, although I felt Peachy Jane’s vocals weren’t quite strong enough to stand out against the music, it produced an eerie effect, somewhat reminiscent of Siouxie & The Banshees.
Although ultimately a hard rock band, Peachy Jane’s sound also includes slight reggae undertones, immediately and sub-consciously putting the audience at ease and making them feel laid back and ready to enjoy the music.

Nikola Crnojevic’s 3-piece rock ensemble SELF ESTEEM brought their independent rock sound, influenced by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the Killers and Pearl Jam, to the live stage, and gained some more fans in the process, all the while promoting their debut album “Love, Life, Lies & Lust” which was released in December 2008.
Although a relatively new band, Self Esteem are no strangers to success, having recently been selected as one of the 50 best unsigned bands (out of 8000) who entered the Orange Unsigned Act competition.  If Self Esteem continues to rock the way they did at Rubyz, fans will be talking about them for years to come.

The DASTARDS was a familiar name to me and, although I had never seen them live, they have been pleasing audiences for the last 6 years. A guitar trio - one bass, one rhythm and one acoustic – producing such a refined sound which perfectly supports the singer’s raw sounding, Bob Dylan-reminiscent, yet superbly melodious vocals.
The Dastards are certainly no strangers to live gigs, having been performing for years, and at times, such as the night of Exposure, back-to-back gigs are the order of the night. This said, their performance was as if it was their first, filled with the eagerness to please the audience and all the passion conveyed by only true artists, dedicated to the cause. Included in the half hour set were songs from their latest album, as well as their cover of Dire Straits’ Romeo & Juliet – a song which sounded as if it was written for this band.