 |
 |
|
|
Trader Jacks, Billingham2nd September 2008We were invited along to an event hosted by Hopeless Productions at Trader Jacks in Billingham. Playing tonight we had;
Joe Burge.
Shaun Wilson.
The Kallinger Bros.
Detached.
and Kid's Can't Fly.
The event had been put together as part of a UK tour being played by Kid's Can't Fly and Detached. Joe Burge, Shaun Wilson and The Kallinger Brothers are all local artists who had been chosen to support the two touring bands.
Trader's in Billingham boasts one of the best rooms in the area for events such as this one, however its sad to say on the few occasions we have attended the venue it is seldom filled. Tonight was no exception, however this did not deter the incredible line-up of artists nor the audience who were there.
 Up first we had Joe Burge. We have seen Joe many times now around and about and also had the pleasure of including him in some of our own events. Joe is also seen as the front man for Nil by Mouth who were expecting to play tonight, however, due to unforeseen circumstances the band had to pull out last minute so Joe stepped in and filled the gap with a brilliant acoustic set. Running through several of his self - penned tunes as well as some of the songs usually played with Nil by Mouth, Joe put on a great performance ending with an upbeat version of Welcome to Greenwell followed by one of our favourites Carrot Boy. To find out more about Joe you can visit his MySpace Page. Joe kicked off the evening with style and we are looking forward to seeing him again very soon.
 Up next we had Shaun Wilson. Shaun is a local singer / songwriter who, we must confess, we had not heard of before tonight. How had we not heard of him? Shaun was superb and it has to be said that he is a truly remarkable artist. He played a set made up of original material and covers by the likes of Nirvana which went over very well with the crowd. He puts across a very strong sense of self in his performance creating a totally spellbinding atmosphere, coupled with his wild sense of humour between songs which is followed with a very serious side, Shaun performs beautifully, demonstrating maturity beyond his years with lyrics clearly close to his heart. Definately a young artist to watch out for in the future. Check him out on his MySpace Page.
After our two acoustic artists we had The Kallinger Brothers who describe themselves as a garage/blues/experimental band. This two piece certainly stepped up the pace in Traders and put on a fantastic performance adding their own take to the Classic Rock sound with a touch of blues. Strong vocals accompanied by energetic percussion, their own material stood up against many a more seasoned band and together these two have a dynamic which is both profound and explosive. The sound these guys create has a depth and intensity which you would expect to come from a band with more members and you can find out more about them on their MySpace Page. It has to be said that the Kallinger Brothers are a rare gem. Towards the end of their set, Scott from One Night Stands joined them on a cowbell for an extended instrumental piece which resulted in the finale for this act. Full kit, mics, and amps all being trashed - a little extreme perhaps but it seemed to be in keeping with the performance and above all it worked.
 The penultimate act of the night was Detached, a six piece Ska/Punk band from Cardiff. Up in the North East as part of a UK Tour with Kid's Can't Fly, Detached is made up of the usual drums, bass, lead, rhythm and vocals with an added element of a brass section - Trumpet and Trombone.  These guys certainly put their hearts and souls into their performance and we would love to see them at a larger venue where the full impact of the brass would surely be more impressive. With tinsel and rubber rings decorating the stage and the sound coming from this band you got the impression you were at a surreal Christmas beach party!Check them out on their MySpace Page. Absolutely superb to watch, Detached put on a show which couldn't fail to get you up and dancing along with them. To sum them up they are something different, original and well worth going to see live.
 Finally we had Kid's Can't Fly who are a a Ska/ Punk band made up of seven guys from Southampton. The Christmas Beach party theme was carried on as these guys exploded on to the stage and we were stunned at the performance put on by this band. Again we had a brass section this time made up of a trumpet and saxaphones and again the impact was extremely impressive.
 Kid's can't Fly are currently touring the UK and will end it back home in Southampton with the launch of their CD. This band are very entertaining and a bunch of very talented musicians who are putting their own slant on the Ska/Punk sound. They are due to be back up in the North early next year and we would urge you to go and see this band play. Theirs was an incredible performance which left you wanting to hear more. To find out more about them you can visit their MySpace Page.
All in all an extremely entertaining evening which wasn't diminished by the poor attendance. We have said this before but we feel it must be said again, these events will not continue if they fail to bring in an audience, use it or lose it seems to be an appropriate statement.
Reviewed by Angie for North East Live
|
|
|
|
