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Day Two of the Transmission Weekender has already been raging several hours, as the patrons of the bar can attest, when local favourites The Lodger amble on stage. Unassuming jangly indie is the order of the day, at odds with a bill which otherwise ranges from loud to louder. The songs are generally safe, unadventurous fare, owing a lot to The Housemartins, and singer Ben has little stage presence. Still it’s all pleasant enough, a much-needed calm before the storm.
No such respite is offered by The Terminals, a band who like their punk loud, fast and snotty. Happily recycling the sound of ’78, the band formerly known as The Detonators come off as nth generation pub-rockers-turned-punks, and lack the finesse needed to really carry it off. Nevertheless, they do a neat line in rip-offs – like Ramones-facsimile 'Suicide Bomber' – which are entertaining and witty.
Distophia are lovable black sheep from Birmingham. It takes them a couple of songs to loosen up and relax a little, but soon the frontmen are running a tidy little double act à la Pavement. in the way they weld lyric and melody, but there’s a whole host of other things going on, and their obvious love of all-out noise is a pleasure to behold. They’re the unexpected hit of the day, and the bizarre refrain of “Robert Redford! Robert Redford!” will echo round many heads for weeks to come.
A sense of humour has been evident in all the bands so far this evening, but if Komakino have one they keep it well hidden. These boys take themselves very seriously indeed, which is actually the only funny thing about them, because, for all the preening and posing they do, the really are very dull. The singer is naturally the focal point, but he makes little attempt to project his personality. Far from the riot-inducing rebels I suspect they aspire to be, Komakino are conservative in the extreme.
It’s not a great night for ¡Forward, Russia! frontman Tom Woodhead either. Tom always gives 110% but tonight he his performance is messy and shrill. The band, too, are unusually sluggish considering the electrifying performances they’ve been turning in of late. Perhaps their suffering from tour fatigue following their recent, much-fêted national jaunt; guitarist Whiskas certainly has an excuse for being knackered: he’s organised the weekend’s festivities. Still, the Leeds audience loves them whatever they do, and new song 'Fourteen' is great fun. Closer 'Eleven' is also great stuff, proving that the band’s songwriting has gone from strength to strength with the advent of double-figures.
Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies have songs as long and complicated as their name. They’re cut from the same cloth as ¡Forward, Russia! and pepper their songs with similar tricks. Rhythmic twists and turns, handclaps, hollers and yelps are all employed to interesting effect, but it’s their intensity which makes YMSS standout. At times they approach the post-metal power of Isis, before giving way to crunchy post-funk or ear-shredding post-rock worthy of Mogwai at their least friendly. If all those post-somethings are putting you off, be warned; YMSS are challenging and rarely take the easy route if a more difficult one presents itself, but they do make intelligent music which is still heavy, heavy, heavy.
10,000 Things look a little old-fashioned in comparison, exuding a Stones-after-Ron-Wood-joined vibe on stage. Their beery anthems are good fun if nothing else, but tonight is not their night. Singer Sam Riley is quieter than normal between songs, and his proper Tyke banter is sorely missed. Attention is diverted elsewhere, and niggling annoyances come to the fore. Crowd-pleasing can look like playing to the lowest common denominator in the wrong light.
Luckily, thrash-disco action in the form of the hilarious Robochrist is on hand to round the evening off. The joke may soon run its course but for the moment there are plenty who haven’t yet seen him mash up gabba, speed metal and the theme from ‘Rainbow’ yet, and it’s an experience you’ll want to have at least once. Tonight, the second half of his set descends into student disco territory, but there’s just time for a junglist re-working of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ to finish which ensures the audience leave with smiles on their faces.
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