Review by Colin Smoult Riffsonline.co.uk

'A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND'

As I've stated on these pages a good few times before, it kind of gets a bit stale if you constantly repeat putting on the same bands all the time. Not only does the audience get bored of watching the same acts play every 3 to 4  months, but it also stops the chance of any 'newer' bands getting the opportunity to play here as well. So therefore we here at the Office, always try to be fair and balance that situation up by occasionally allowing new groups (or unfamiliar ones) to play here too. The last weekend was a case where both bands weren't regular acts that feature here all the time. Friday saw the very first appearance of heavy rockers Straight Shooter.

'You just looked at his drum kit
and it screamed 'mettaaallllll!!!'

Straight Shooter were originally intended for a Saturday slot, but because of a mix-up (my fault) we delayed their gig by a few weeks and gave them a Friday date instead. It turned out to be the perfect solution because this band really were a typical Friday night type of group. I prefer to make the Fridays a 'heavy rock' occasion, and as a sort of unwritten rule I tend to put the lighter-weight acts on the Saturday instead. So this change in dates worked out ideally because this band ARE a heavy rock act! Prior to the gig I'd had an e-mail from the drummer asking how big the stage was. Now I got to find out why, because he must have had one of the biggest drum kits that there's ever been on this stage. A double bass drum set up, with around 6 toms, and god know how many cymbals scattered right around like an impenetrable wall of stands. You just looked at his drum kit and it screamed "mettaaallllll!!!" right at you. I saw them do their soundcheck and was pleasantly relieved to find out that they were competent musicians who had a decent sound, and a good sized P.A. system. Just what I need for a Friday night, and the lads did not let me down.

'A good rootsy rock band
that are proud to play heavy rock'

     I'd probably put this group in the same sort of category as Misschief or Rock Solid. A good 'rootsy' rock band that are proud to play heavy rock, but can still retain a very commercial feel that could work in almost any live music venue. Nothing that they played could be described as 'extreme', and they certainly backed away from the territories that bands like the F**k-Ups rule with a vengeance. The opening number was UFO's 'Doctor Doctor', and they even snuck 'Shoot Shoot' in the set during the course of the evening. The material was fairly predictable I suppose. You knew that you were going to get some Led Zep, AC/DC, and some Thin Lizzy too. The bulk of the material was very 70's orientated, and I suppose that when you're playing to crowds of people generally aged 40-plus, then it makes sense to keep within those boundaries. They did occasionally play something a bit more recent, even though the Creed cover went completely over most people's heads. The choice of material didn't really grab my attention that much, as these days I'm getting so used to hearing the same songs every other weekend (I need to hear another version of Thin Lizzy's 'Rosalie' like I need a hole in the head). But in their defence, this kind of material continually goes down well with the regular crowd here, and if the majority of people are clapping, then who am I to complain.

'...his fingers would blister up the guitar neck
with a furious confident ability.'

     As musicians, they all played reasonably well. The potential was there in abundance, even though I got the distinct impression that they were under-rehearsed. I can't point the finger of blame at anyone in particular, because I noticed every one of them make several mistakes (each) during this show. Nothing so drastic that it ruined any songs, but just silly hiccups that could easily be ironed out with a few more intense rehearsals. The drummer does have a fabulous drum kit and certainly knows how to play it. He seemed a bit unfamiliar with some of the material that they were playing (and occasionally got a bit lost), but when his confidence was there then his playing really shone through. The bassist did well and had a decent sound. He too dropped the odd clanger, but was quick to correct his mistakes when they cropped up. The guitarist was a funny guy to sum up. Sometimes he would look a little unsure, and then at other times his fingers would blister up the guitar neck with a furious confident ability. His 'dragon' emblazoned Wolfgang guitar was a beautiful instrument, upon which he got tons of compliments that night. Their singer has got a cracking voice! Sometimes he played it down and crooned through some of the numbers, but when he wanted it to kick in then he couldn't half sing. All of these players need more rehearsals and more gigs to make them a tighter unit and to build up confidence. Catch them again in 3 to 4 months and I think we could have another great band on our hands to equal many of our firmly established ones.