Date: 26th of September, Venue: The Bitterest Endest, Acts: The Library Suits, ChavTownBand & Mini.

So like, yeah. Yeah? ...Yeah.

This'll be my last post about Saturday night bands... for a while. Essentially the bands at ze Bitter End haven't been metal, which is what I kinda set out to review in the first place. So I'm giving myself a little holiday until the metal returns, and you won't care because you're not reading this are you? You selfish figment.
Except when the metal returns on the 31st of October however, I still won't be there to review it (which kinda sucks as Wreck of the Minotaur are playing and I love them). Instead I will be dressed as a bollard or something at a friends Halloween party, hell bent on ruining everyone Else's good time because I'm not good at enjoying parties. If you're going too, expect me taking a cue from Charlie Brooker; standing in a corner saying 'despair' with gradual increases in volume until I am removed from the 'fun'. Actually the night should be a laugh. You need to learn when I'm joking.

Anyway, enough of the selfish over sharing on my part, where's all these bands then ay??

The Library Suits. Catchy pop-alt-rock-post-morrisey-core-whateverihatevaguelabelsjustlistentothemyourself. With cowbell... Perhaps this will be a new Bitter End band night staple?
I enjoyed their guitar tone, and the discernible sound of their influences within their own signature sound. I wrote in my notebook that TLS sound like; "all the alt rock bands of the 90's had a gangbang and came all over the 00's face". And on further reflection, I stand by this analogy. I guess I liked them... They had good energy, but unfortunately at the time I did not. I approved, but at I knew I wouldn't buy a CD, even if it was a quid.
If TLS had just a little more passion in their sound I might have given a bigger shit, but as it was my more hench turds stayed with me. If they had a faster pace and a more powerful vocal delivery, TLS would have been more enjoyable for me. However crowd response was good, and ...ok yes I liked them.



http://www.myspace.com/thelibrarysuits



ChavTownBand. Shit name. Let's just get that out of the way. More indie. They reminded me a bit of Babyshambles & Dirty Pretty Things... A kind of combination of them. Hey, that should totally happen!
Jesting aside, CTB weren't a Libs clone at all; they actually sound like a combination of Babyshambles and DPT's that's not The Libertines... Hard to imagine I know, but you don't have to imagine it; it's happened. The Jam would be another useful sound-a-like if you really need one.
Lead singers have to work to not come across as pricks, it can take years to be able to fake it, but I genuinely liked the guy CTB thrust up there. He seemed like he wasn't taking his performance seriously at all; a wise tactic.
CTB make music that you would run around London, doing wacky, music video type shenanigans to; bothering the boring pedestrians who aren't in bands with strange behaviour, avoiding the inept security guard, dancing to music no one else can hear, stubbing out cigarettes on a kidnapped child's chest etc. I liked CTB, it's the kind of music I wanted to write a few years ago when I was primarily an indie kid, and the cover of Johnny Cash's 'Folsom Prison Blues' was a competent and well chosen.



http://www.myspace.com/tvhomes




Local power-pop cum rock group Mini were the last to play, and let it not be said that The Bitter End doesn't hold itself to the credence 'save the best 'til last'.
If given the choice, I would rather actively seek out a sadistic bollock squashing dentist, who arbours right wing values, denies global warming is real and genuinely enjoys High School Musical, than willingly listen to anything with the label 'power-pop'.
However in a live setting, it's impossible to deny that Mini are very entertaining! It's cheery, shy, bitter sweet rock n' roll n' pop. i.e The Beach Boys, The Beatles... That's all I can really think of as examples. It's a genre out of my expertise really. Hence my surprise at liking it! To be honest I tried listening to a song on their Myspace and immediately decided to listen to Hunger for the Crash instead.
Fail.

Mini's great musicianship, catchy, cheery melodies, heavenly vocal harmonies and infectious onstage joy only works in a live capacity for me; but I implore you, if this is your cup of tea; you will absolutely bloody love it!



http://www.myspace.com/soundofmini



So that's it for another review, I'll be back soon ninjas. Until next time, wish me luck on my working holiday!

Martin