PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Tonights bill was a packed lineup – Sencelled, Dynazty, Tainted nation, Miss Behaviour, Jettblack, and Electric Boys – six bands. All apart from Jettblack had been touring together, but only London were lucky enough to get Jettblack.
Sencelled were first up. Going on stage five minutes after the doors opened, they were never going to get a decent crowd, but they didnt let the small audience bother them and managed to put in a good solid performance during their all to brief set – omly around 20 minutes long. Their singer played a headless guitar which looked odd but sounded good. Sencelled are definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of Swedish AOR.
Next up was another Swedish band – Dynazty, from Stockholm. Dynazty are heavier/rockier than Sencelled and would appeal to fans of bands such as Skid Row. Despite some technical problems with the bass guitar they put in a very good performance. They used the space available well and looked confident throughout. As with Sencelled, their set was all too brief – the downside of such a packed lineup.
- Dynazty
Tainted nation were next up and stood out in several ways – they were British, they seemed a lot older than the other bands, they were the heaviest band on the bill, and unfortunately were also the weakest band on the bill. I think most people would have preferred to see them dropped from the bill to give the other bands more time to play longer sets.
After tainted nation came Miss Behaviour, another Swedish band. Having seen them before, I was looking forwards to their set tonight, and they didnt disappoint. If you haven’t listened to them yet, the closest band for comparison is Europe. Miss Behaviour’s vocalist Sebastian Roos is certainly reminiscent of Europe’s Joey Tempest with his voice and his stage presence/performance. The rest of the band put in great performances too, particularly Erik Heikne on guitar. At one point Sebastian Roos climbed off the stage into the photo pit so he could get up close and personal with the fans.
Next up tonight came the first of the co-headliners, Jettblack. This young band put in a very impressive set – their performance was polished, the music had plenty of power and the songs were strong. The band certainly appeal to the ladies – it was noticeable that the right hand side of the venue (stage left) had a much bigger crowd as the ladies got close to the bands bare chested guitarist. One nice touch during the set was a short guitar duel with the bass player introducing the two guitarists in the manner of a boxing match announcer. The guitarists both had boxes to stand on at times which meant that people further back got a great view as well as those down at the front. In all honesty they werent needed tonight – the turnout for this midweek date was poor, which is a surprise as other dates on the tour had been much busier.
Finally shortly before 11pm, The Electric Boys came on stage. Gigs at the academy normally finish at 11pm, but tonight there was a late curfew – not that the promoters had thought to warn people of this, nor had they considered the wisdom of such a move for a midweek gig when people have work the next day. As a result, the already sparse crowd started to shrink further as people left to get their trains or busses home. A bad mistake by the promoters who would have been far better starting the event 30 minutes early so if any band suffered a poor crowd it would be the opening band rather than the headliners.
What little I saw of Electric Boys was good – plenty of power and attitude, but sadly after one song, like much of the audience, I had to leave to get my train home – a disappointing end to a great night of music.
Jettblack setlist:
Mother fucker
In between lovers
When it comes to loving
chasing love
Slip it on
Two hot girls
Fooled by a rose
Not even love
Holding
Get your hands dirty
Dangerzone
Tainted nation setlist:
Dare you
You still hang around
Who’s watching you
Nothing like you seem
Don’t forget where you came from
Only friend
Loser
