What Happens In Aldershot...

I tend not to travel too far for gigs. I don't have a car and most public transport shuts down just after 11 so quite often it's just not much of an option for me. However when I heard that Reuben were putting on a Christmas spectacular in Aldershot and Arthur were supporting I couldn't resist so my friend Adam and I made the 2 1/2 hour trek from the sussex coast.
So after a long drive in thick fog and a long wait in the carpark (missing the rush hour made so much sense before we arrived 2 hours early) playing I-Spy (I won hands down). We finally got in. Tickets were like golddust, anticipation was high and the venue was intimate and great. So far so good

First up were Extravagatron. Drafted in as last minute replacements for the original openers Audit, nobody knew what to expect. What nobody expected was a lead singer wearing only kneepads, black briefs and a luchadore's mask. I would post a picture here but I realised that would mean having a picture of a muscled, sweaty, near naked bloke in his pants on my laptop and I didn't really want to have to explain that one to my girlfriend, so you're just going to have to imagine this one. The music itself was very varied, ranging from cock-rock to jazz in neat little bursts with lyrics as filthy as the space under my 19 year old brother's bed. Never taking itself too serriously these guys are no maestros but for a bizare 30 minutes I just didn't care. Needless to say this performance was an experience, and a damn fun one at that. See them live and you won't regret it. Unless you feel the need afterwards to scour your eyes.

So onto Arthur. I've been supporting this band for a long time on CUR1350 and for good reason. Arthur have produced some of the finest indie/pop tunes I have ever heard. Youthful and exuberant somehow combining raw energy and passion in a way few bands ever havce into three minute blasts of bliss, this was my first time seeing them in the live arena and I was a little bit worried whether they would live up to my expectations. Cue one magnificent performance to put any doubts to rest within 2 tracks.
The set tonight is wholly build around their newer material, showcasing a greater complexity in their songwriting than previous EPs and it pays off superbly. Tortured Artist' is a manic uncontrollable hook twister while old favourite 'Me and the Minister' is revamped into a new twisted electro shape and seems to like it. The new material is waht stands out tonight though with a song about rocket ships impressing with its brilliant flicks between sections and one of the best vocal hooks I have heard in ages. Even after one listen it sounds like a classic. On record Hannah Shark's vocals are magnificently emotive. Live they have the ability to melt spines and break hearts at will. An most people would gladly let them. To take a crowd of rock fans and make such a good impression is a big feat especially for a band whose members are still in 6th Form college but they really won over the crowd. I've said it a million times. This band deserve it all.

Tonight is Reuben's night though. This is a band on the top of their game after the release of the superb 'In Nothing We Trust' and tonight it is their party. Blitzing through a set made up of material from accross theoir back-catalogue we were promised something special and boy was it delivered. Live debuts for the Brutal 'Crushed Under The Weight Of The Enormous Bullshit' and a passionate 'An Act of Kindness', a rocking little Beatles cover and plenty of tracks that didn't get an outing on the last tour were mixed in with the more familiar singles in a setlist that satisfied the purist and kept faith with those that have just boarded the Reuben train. Combine that with some between song banter that many stand-ups would be proud of and a real regard for the people in front of them Reuben have the crowd around their little fingers but like true gentlemen never take advantage of it. The big fireworks were saved for the end though with a starting with a voice destroying 'No One Wins The War' that threatened to bring the house down from the crowds singing alone. A rare outing for the classic 'Words From Reuben' that breaks your heart before showing you true love and fan favourite 'Everytime A Teenager Listens To Drum and Bass A Rockstar Dies gave way to the most surprising ending that could have been hoped for. 'Shambles'stopped the heart of everybody in the room with its passionate poigniancy befoer exploding in joyus desperation. Faithfulness, and dare I say it, love distilled into sonic form. I could barely speak afterwards and that wasn't just because I'd been singing so hard.

I've reviewed these guys live on this blog before and the effect was the same. A crowd so moved by music that nothing could snap them out of their trance until the band left the stage. On home ground they had nothing to prove. But they damn well did it anyway. What Happens In ALdershot doesn't just stay in Aldershot. When it's this good the experience stays with you for the rest of your life.

[Photos curtesy of the cameraphone of my good friend and chauffeur Mr Adam Pellett]