Four bands provided the evenings entertainment, with three of them being female-fronted and the third being some ska/ reggae / punk ensemble (that I have to admit were pretty good.)
Lights
With a running order that changes from night to night so that each band has a chance to ‘headline’ I will just run through the nights events as I saw them, so if the headliner isn’t your headliner, then don’t get too confused.
Lights
I arrived mid-way through Lights’ set and was gutted that I’d missed the majority of the action from this stunning girl from Toronto.
Playing a multitude of different keyboard-shaped instruments, she captivated my full attention for the few songs I heard from her; a great batch of driven yet mellow music, which would undoubtedly provide a great backdrop for a night of romance and sexy time.
Well worth checking out this year!
Whole Wheat Bread
Now, before I headed to the venue, I knew there was going to be a rap-type group on, and to be quite honest, I’d already planned that I wasn’t going to like them at all, but God, I wasn’t half wrong, although my friends quickly made an exit after Lights, I’m pretty sure they wish they hadn’t, because Whole Wheat Bread were awesome.
I’ve got to be honest, it’s not the type of music I’d go into HMV and stock up on, but watching these three guys live was just wonderful and it was a great respite from the other pop/rock ands that were playing last night.
Their huge sing-a-long choruses, the expertly spitting lyrics combined with their shameless self promoting name dropping made these guys stand out head and shoulders about any other MC group I’ve seen before, and coming to meet the fans afterwards scored major point with the crowd.
But it was their brief cover of Metallica and their freestyling mid-set that really got the crowd going, with the odd pretty boy hardcore kid taking to the dance floor and throwing some shapes - much to the annoyance of all the ghetto wannabes!
In This Moment
The highlight of the night for me has to be the kids from In This Moment. They’ve been on repeat on iTunes for the past couple of weeks now and seeing them live was all I needed to realise how mind-blowing this band are.
Sadly though, not everyone agreed, and as the stunning Maria Brink screamed her way through line after line, a couple of the guys in the room couldn’t help but guffaw under their breath as her croaky voice - whether that’s just a result of their ultra-tight skinny fit jeans preventing then from belting out lyrics like that I don’t know; despite claiming ITM are only successful because ‘sex sells.’ Looks like you’re going to be skint for a while then mate.
After last night though, there is nothing that could sway my love for this band, and if I was a singer, Maria would sure as hell be my inspiration, to sing like her, and be able to look as unfalteringly cool as her whilst covered in tattoo’s would just be mint.
VersaEmerge
I’ve got to admit, I was slightly let down by the Paramore wannabe’s in VersaEmerge; don’t get me wrong, you can’t fault them musically, but for me, there was nothing that made them stand out from all the other bands trying (and failing) to make something out of their music career.
I mean, we had the piano hottie in Lights, those MC heroes in Whole Wheat Bread and the enigmatic In This Moment, but VersaEmerge seemed to lack that bit of something else that made them stand out… well, apart from being one of the hottest bands on the planet.
There’s no doubt that I’d buy all their records because sitting at home, in the car or in the office, their tracks are nothing short of wow-ee inducing, but if you’re only listening to them because you like Hayley Williams, it’s probably better to save up for a Paramore gig and check out VersaEmerge when they have found their niche.
Overall though, four great bands who are well worth checking out over the coming months. It would seems that 2009 is the year of the female-fronted rock band at long last.
Check out our amazing Give It A Name Tour gallery for the pictures they didn't want you to see...
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
Photos By Andy Squire - flickr.com/acidtoast