REVIEW: Live music at the Camrose (From Basingstoke Gazette)

REVIEW: Live music at the Camrose

2:45pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Music By Neil Duncan

I HAVE been to shows at football clubs before, but this was my first in Basingstoke – and the first time that Wicked Boy Promotions has put on the show in the town – so I felt quite the pioneer.

First up were a newish, youngish band from Basingstoke by the name of Metanoia. This five-piece rock band had managed to draw a massive crowd. I had seen them before, about six months back, and was curious to see how they had developed.

They are a lot more confident now, and delivered a tighter performance which was technically better than before.

They have also not fallen into the trap of playing umpteen covers, so they are well on their way to carving out a niche for themselves.

They were followed by veterans Mary Kelly, who are a very different outfit.

Their post-hardcore is heavy, their performances are uncompromising and aggressive, but they’re highly entertaining.

The band were taking bets on how quickly they could clear the venue, but in the event the crowd not only remained, but really enjoyed their performance.

The high point was the first ever delivery of a new song, which I really loved, and shows impressive progression by the band.

They were one of my most watched bands in 2011 and I expect that trend to continue this year.

The midpoint was taken by Gold Rush, who cranked out some real Southern-style rock, not quite as heavy as the previous band, but tight and very impressive.

Although they have a real ‘retro’ feel, they also seem strangely contemporary.

I believe it is their technical skill which means that they can feature on quite a wide range of gig line-ups and appeal to a broad range of audiences.

They were well-received by the sizable crowd and I am sure that by this point the organisers were breathing a sigh of relief because it was all going so well.

Main support was provided by another newish, youngish, Basingstoke band. Mitchell Goes Bananas field three guitarists and sit firmly in the ‘indie’ musical camp.

Nowhere near as heavy as any of the bands who had played thus far, they still gave a fair account of themselves. Their songs are catchy and crafted to appeal to a mainstream audience, but they were still able to clock up a good response from the mixed crowd in front of them.

An all ages show like this was proving to be an ideal opportunity to showcase a nice variety of genres.

The headline band was The Clarity, who are well-known locally and have a very loyal following.

Although it was starting to get a little late, a strong posse of supporters gathered right up in front of them and there was a lot of good-natured banter back and forth.

The guys have loads of experience and their material is well-known, so it was not difficult for them to generate plenty of positive response.

They can take pride from the fact they had a good deal of support from the other bands who played.

A big thanks to all the bands who played, to the organisers of the show and the management and staff of the Basingstoke Town FC Social Club.