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Current mood:  hungry Category: Music
I've never been a huge fan of Envy as a venue for live bands. As a club night, Waster is sublime, and tonight it was heaving, so, having queued for over half an hour I hoped it was worth it. Barely moments after entering the club and getting our bearings, Will Chump's voice boomed on the mic announcing Hold Fast and as soon as the first guitar kicked in I was blown away.
Hold Fast are well known for their "wall of sound" approach, filling the venue and not missing a beat as they wind track into track to deliver a set that draws the audience in to their dark and mysterious world, and doesn't give them a chance to escape. For me, it was the first time I've seen a band actually "work" in Envy. The sound was loud and edgy, filling the room and drawing peoples eyes skyward to the above bar stage to see what was captivating them. Expertly light (the one decent reason for bands to play Waster), the whole band looked fantastic, and the lights helped create the feel that this was something quite a bit different and an escape from the norm of dreary bands. The set appeared to include a couple of new songs (or maybe at least new to me), which were ballsy, brasher, and a good dose more urgent than anything I've heard since. Quirky this band are not, intriguing they are.
Trash Money were up next, and, well, I wasn't exactly won over. Appearing like a band from a trailer park somewhere in the south west, they delivered some solid garage punk, and the few tracks that were big, gnarling and loud worked quite well, but a lot of it fell into a bit of a sea of malaise, the lead singer seeming dis-interested, even when bantering with the crowd. To be honest, we were spoilt by Hold Fast.
The highlight of the night for most was Mike Fielding (or DJ Naboo), as there was a crowd forming like Japanese tourists round the DJ booth by this stage. Three tracks of very obvious, chart dance records into his set we decided we'd seen him, and that would do, so left, thanks to the Southsea Mafia DJs for filling the other gaps round the band much better with expertly mixed tracks and a feel that set the tone perfectly for the night.
Hold Fast and Trash Money played for Waster at Envy on Wednesday 6th February 2008. Naboo (the wee man) DJed.
12:39 AM
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