The Boar's Head (Tap House), Kidderminster - 28.01.12
I thought I'd pay a return visit to one of the kickingest venues in the two counties for live and local music - and one which made us feel really welcome when we recorded live sessions there last November. I'm talking about the Boar's Head in Kidderminster, which has music running through it like a stick of rock. This old coaching inn has been given a massive makeover in the last couple of years with a new stage and sound system - and there's even an rock-music-themed art gallery in the passageway.
I'd popped along to check out the headlining act - but I certainly wasn't expecting one of the support acts to be one of my faves of 2011, particularly as their bass player had tipped me off about the gig but failed to mention that they themselves would also be on the bill! I'm talking about local supergroup God Save The King. I arrived just as frontman Pete Adams was discussing new number Meryl Streep vs Darryl Hannah with a bemused audience. Yes, it was another part music/part standup set from the indie-rocking four-piece featuring Adam Daffurn, Mike Wynn and Ben Cullimore - who've already got a cracking set of classics like I Smell Rats, Summer In The City and Coast To Coast - possibly a bit confusing for the locals, but great fun as always!
I was quietly impressed with the heavyish riffs of Alttia who followed. My first question when I see a band for the first is to ask where they're from and I was told Brum-land - shame! So I moseyed up to them after their kicking set to point them in the direction of BBC WM's Introducing programme but it turns out though that feisty frontgirl Lauren is actually from Kidderminster herself - so welcome aboard guys!
A gig at the Boar's Head is always worthing checking out - this venue are ticking all the necessary boxes and this Saturday night it was absolutely rammed to the gills with an extremely appreciative audience who really know their rock music. I'd gone there to check out headliners TheOneTwo's who - errm - have a bit of a history with us of uploading songs with some pretty dodgy content. But you know,-they're not half as sweary live as I'd imagined them to be. They're a ska-punking foursome very much in the BSN[4:20] mode with maybe a little bit of sauciness in the mix - but quite acceptable on the whole! There were a few new numbers thrown into this set and they seem to be attracting a fair bit of industry attention - a gig lined up soon at the O2 arena in Brum - and no this isn't at the pay-to-play venue.
27 Oct 2012
- From the section Hereford & Worcester