Liverpool, Korova
Two skinny, pretty things. A small stage. Guitar and drums. Fuck. The sheer force of this Brighton duo is immediately apparent. It seems the clout of about 10 riff-spewing, fat rockers has become contained in these two kids and the audience are turned on to alert straightaway.
The frantic concentrated drumming of Steven Ansell and the slick raw power wielded in the single guitar of Laura-Mary Carter, taps into a rich vein of highly strung angst punk, epitomised by the dark, glossy drive of ‘You Bring Me Down’.
Their sound comes from the some new territory between the slow-burning, moody blues of The Duke Spirit and the scratchy art punk of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They’re dynamic but hard and their combination of abrasive riffs and intense rhythms, melodic spikes and sweetly-pained vocals is as physically agitating as it is exciting on the ear.
The smallish crowd are attentive and energised rather than crazed and leaping about, appearing to be locked in as much fervour and concentration as those on stage by the time of twisted ballad to getting it anyway, anyhow, ‘Try Harder’.
Nearing the finish, BRS bring some of the throng in on the act, punk-style audience participation or just saving money on band members? Either way, one, a very pissed guy called Peter, not only plays a mean cowbell, but shouts platitudes to the band throughout. For the final verdict, Peter puts it better than we ever could: “How fuckin’ boss were they? Come ‘eaaad!”
By Kenn Taylor
Kenn Taylor 