Issue 17: February 2005
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Eat your heart out it's ... issue 17.
Mmm, or I might eat your heart out for you, slurp!
Respect is due to Tim Hornsby at Fibbers, in York, for the Tsunami appeal day on 12th February 2005. Both the afternoon and evening sessions were sold out and the fans were treated to six excellent performances by an eclectic mix of bands. Well done to all involved.
RSJ kicked off in the afternoon with a heavy, thumping sound reminiscence of Slipknot, many a small person was seen to reel towards the rear of the building with blood pouring from their ears. Brilliant. Next up were Sixty6 who had a middle-American emo presence. Looking back through their recent tours, I noticed that they had just finished touring with Jimmy Eats World, I can't wait for their debut album. Top of the bill was Colour of Fire, lead singer Owen sounding ever so slightly like Brett-Suede.
The evening session started at 19:30 and first on stage was Black Night Crash with Led Zep style vocals and riffs, excellent Smithers. Another change of pace came with the second band, The Clients, all suited and booted, and sporting a female vocalist in full evening dress. They played electro-dance with a hard, rocky edge. And, finally, for local delight and delectation, The Yards, need I say more.
Perched at the back for the evening session was none other than Rick Witter who spent the inter-band intervals pressing the flesh with the hoi-palloi and chatting to punters. A top day was had by all.
More of your offerings handed up at the altar of e-mail from the offices of Dark Sun Records:
"When are you back at Glen Studios?"
There are two gigs in February and more planned for March. See you there!
"Has it stopped snowing yet?"
Yes
"How can I restore the appearance of small rusty steel items?"
I'm guessing that this was the wrong e-mail address again, however; Rusty steel reacts brilliantly to a rub from a cut onion. Really work it into the stain and leave a coating of onion juice for a couple of days before polishing with turpentine and washing off.
SCARY is a rock band based in York, England. The band currently consists of two full-time members; lead guitarist Paul "Noodler" Martin and rhythm guitarist Roger "Sorry" Butler-Ellis. They both double up on vocals.
No band can exist in isolation, and even musical minimalists such as SCARY need a back-up team to provide vital assistance. So here are the folks that help make us rock:-
Dark Sun Records are pleased to announce that SCARY -Paul became a proud father again on 29th September 2004 when his wife gave birth to another bonny, bouncing baby girl, Esther. Congratulations to Mum and Dad.
"We wish the couple every happiness and can assure all fans that this will not in any way impact tour dates."
Family illness has disrupted Roger's availability in the last months of 2004 and Paul has been busy with his new baby daughter. This has severely curtailed the band's activities, but Dark Sun Records are able to confirm that the band will start gigging again in February 2005.
"All August gigs were cancelled and the band played intermittently during the last part of 2004. However, we are expecting them to make a strong come-back in February or March of 2005."
In keeping with their current "no charge" policy, SCARY continue to offer free admission to their micro-gigs at Glen Studios.
Dateline: 16th February 2005
In a rock world dominated by mediocrity, the electrifying, testosterone-fuelled monster that is SCARY strides an impressive seven leagues over the opposition. Aye, They Must Be Giants or at least They Be Giant Slayers. Here on their home ground of Glen Studios there is a sense of anticipation as the pizzas are guzzled and the Pepsi Max flows freely. Then, with the rider consumed, they finally take to the stage.
There is a brief wail of protest from the guitars as they are hoisted into the air. Roger's shoes are removed and he flexes his toes over the pedals strewn over the floor. "One, two, one, two", and Roger taps his microphone one last time as a deathly silence falls over the audience.
Paul taps out a haunting set of notes, the band have thrown away the set list and are playing free-form. Then, realisation dawns, it's Pink Floyd's 'Time'. The vocals are delicate, almost fragile. They segue seamlessly into the 'Breathe' reprise but trail off half way though, as if this were merely a taster.
The rest of the one and a half hour set is a black, velvet cloth studded with diamond songs; 'Better Man', 'Street Spirit', 'Fade Away', 'Crush', 'Oxygen', 'Seven Days', the list goes on. Somehow they make the old Oasis numbers sound fresh and dynamic, do they play them slightly faster that the originals? It's hard to say. There are no new Feeder tracks tonight, but it can only be a question of time before they lift the best off the 'Pushing the Senses' album.
Again, the encore is 'Hey Jude', extending this simple song into an ear-rending, ten minute opus with great, pompous swathes of fret-noodling from Paul, and eye-watering chords from Roger. Over the cacophony of their instruments, it sounds as if they are singing the lyrics of nursery rhymes. 'Baa Baa Black Sheep'? No boys, it's not PC, you can't sing that! But I think they might have done.
And they've gone. A guitar weeps gently into an amplifier and the stage echoes to the electric pops of jacks being pulled from their equipment. Thank god the boys are back in town.
Count Alucard