Chickenhawk – Flapper & Firkin - Wednesday 8th April 2009

Blimey four bands on a bill and I'd only seen one of them before – now there's a rarity...

Acres Of Ocean were the band I'd come to support. Amazingly it's been about twelve months since I first saw them. Reassuringly they're still as tight as ever as a band, although the on stage monitors didn't help Sam's vocals. The newer material suffered most, as the songs off the first EP were completed on vocal auto-pilot and sounded ok. Vocal issues aside this was a quality set and a fine way to start the evening. The two tracks off the first EP opened and closed their stint, and surrounded three new songs. The newer material had a slightly different feel, sounding like a cross between old and modern prog – Rush and Porcupine Tree were the two bands that immediately came to mind. Acres Of Ocean made a complicated series of songs sound very straightforward and you can't really praise a band more highly than that. Guitars wove intricate patterns, with the dynamics alternating between quieter, almost ambient, sections, and heavier, darker, passages. Five string bass work and drums gelled seamlessly. Due to start work on their new EP soon, it will be fascinating to see how it turns out, and I wish them all the best with their endeavours. Set list; “Oceanic”, “Atkinson”, “Amphitrite”, “Battles”, “Cymatics”.

Khuda, from Leeds, were on next, and playing their first gig in Birmingham. I would strongly suspect it won't be their last. Try and imagine this scene... As the band were setting up a mat, table lamp and joss sticks were arranged around the guitarist's pedal board. The drum kit was brought to the front of the stage also... and then the set started. Khuda are a two piece band consisting of the tall, stocky, wild-haired Tom on guitar, and the slightly built Robin on drums, whose favoured top layer was a duffel coat. Still with me? What followed was an exercise in psychedelia, or progressive rock, which came across as stoner meets drone. They too are due in the studio soon, and again it will be interesting to see how the end result sounds. The songs all seemed to follow a similar format – guitar riff repeated via a sequencer accompanied by increasingly urgent drumming – and all started out quietly and then built to crescendo. It has to be said the sound they generated as a two piece was more than impressive. Tom switched between power chords and intricate soloing, whilst Robin used all parts of the kit (and I mean all) during a stunning, and powerful, display. Hopefully it won't be long before they visit the Midlands again. Set list; “Ezra”, “Hester Panim”, “Spirit”, “Arrival”.

Mothertrucker continued the unusual staging theme, by opting for two household up lighters instead of utilising the lighting rig that was already in place. They too played a set of instrumentals, although they lined up as a four piece, Charlie and Chris on guitars, Bruce on drums and synth, and Tom on bass. They list themselves on MySpace as metal/experimental/psychedelic which goes some way to describing their overall sound, as elements of stoner, modern prog, doom/sludge, indie, and even space rock were all fused together. I'd say they sounded like a hybrid of Hawkwind, Down, Soundgarden and Muse. Complex then?! Again cleaner, ambient sections collided with full on rock workouts, but their masterful handling of the dynamics made it all seem ridiculously easy. Another quality set from a band whose gig schedule I'll be monitoring closely. Set list; “Church Stretton” (surely a first?!), “Liddell Couture Three”, “Sweet Mahal”.

Chickenhawk, again from Leeds, had the unenviable task of headlining the night, but fought off all-comers with considerable ease. The drummer, Matthew, set his kit up in the middle of the venue, and pummelled the living daylights out of it, as the band bludgeoned their way through a hardcore inspired set. Guitarist Robert spent a considerable amount of the set in close proximity to the kit, as the vocalist/guitarist, Paul, encouraged the crowd closer, to get a “we're playing in your front room” feel. Paul, and bassist Ryan, also made occasional ventures off the stage, during a madcap and energetic set. Matthew was quite a showman, at various times standing up whilst still playing, falling off his stool, and finally kicking the kit over in true rock fashion. This was a high energy performance of staggering ferocity, which also contained an amazing level of musicality and groove. All in all, they just pinched band of the night, but quite frankly this was one of the strongest line ups I've witnessed in a venue of this size for a long time. Quality performance to round off a thoroughly entertaining evening. Set list; “Bottle Rocket”, “Nasa vs Esa”, “I Hate This, Do You Like It?”, “Let Down”, “Scorpio”, “Kerosene”.