Misled Vision @ New Roscoe
By James Stringer
Dum Flux opened up the evening in a punk rock fashion. Melodic, energetic but let down by out of time guitars and slightly out of tune vocals. A good crowd response was present at the end of songs especially for covers of 'House of the Rising Sun' - Punk ROCK style and also Reel Big Fish's 'Where have you been'. No mosh pit though and with more energy on stage to entice the crowd into imitating this, and a tighter approach to songs and also in between songs, this band could improve.
Cutout Hero were up next and again followed on the punk rock theme of the night so far, sporting band t-shirts, suit jackets and badges. The first song (with the vocal line "All I know is that I don't know nothing") introduced the band to the punk-thirsty audience. This received a good response. They then went into one of their own songs with the bass starting off a simple melodic sequence, followed by drums and then rocking guitars. Just as we thought this was your average punk song, enter SKA! The second of their own songs was the first song they ever wrote - again punk by nature but with interesting tempo changes and cut in and out, dub fashion drums but with a slightly messy ending. After a new song, which was a slightly repetitive ska song, came a Rancid cover followed by (surprise, surprise...) Green Day's first ever song. Their best song of the night came in the form of a cover of a song by a Swedish punk band (not Millencolin). This was executed well and was a lot tighter than the rest of the songs - the only criticism of this was the vocals, a weakness apparent throughout the set - but this band are only young so this *should* come with age. The singer announced that this band were "down with the kids" and played a version of 'Dammit' by Blink that started off well but got progressively messier. After a very competent version of 'Teenage Kicks' (yes another cover!) came the Kazoo song, with two members of the audience being brought up on stage to play - yes you've guess it, the kazoo. And also sing. This wasn't the best set closer in the world but as I went to the cash machine after the end of their set, all I could hum was that damn kazoo song. Catchy, I'll give them that. All in all a mixed set with its high points and low points, and no doubt with experience and immaturity this band will do great in the future.
The headliners tonight were melodic metal's Misled Vision, fresh from a 2-month break of rehearsing, writing and from the look of it, revising for SATs...The band were made up by a girl rhythm section and singer (all 14) and older male guitarist (16). The singer walked on midway through the first song, 'Wishful Thinking' to share with us the little-girl voice that was blending beautifully with the sinister dark music that was being played behind her. A sense of vulnerability in her voice made this all the more...scary in a way. I don't know who writes the songs but they portray a depressed teenager, being hurt by relationships and life from what i could tell. Aside from the singing, the band are very good technically as well, the drums and bass holding things down very well, while the guitarist plays heavy but melodic riffs and minor chords and when the opportunity does arise to show off his lead talents, this is done with taste as he does not remove the focus from the singer for more than about 8 bars. The band then proceeded to step things up a level with an energetic cover of Nirvana's 'Breed', which perfectly suited the band, also bringing the tempo of the set up. 'Morning star' showed off the band's songwriting talents again - mellow start, very slow with the vocal melody crying "Am I star beneath in sky?" almost in agony but yet so innocently. This song was one of the best songs of the night and I could still sing you this now, 4 days after the gig. Competent covers were then played with 'Trip with Jesus' following a less stoned, less shit version of Amen's 'Coma America' (see festival review of Amen for my thoughts of them there!) and do you know what - it was played and sung so much better than Amen at the fest I must say! More originals followed with 'Rot' sounding like System of a Down's early stuff with a good use of dynamics and good drumming. 'In Agony' closed the set well, building from a very mellow start to a distorted, heavy, intense ending - all remaining in a minor key. 'Vocal defiance' is the only way I could describe the lyrics - " You broke my heart, made me feel so wrong" - a song among their best this evening. Throughout their set they showed that they deserved their place headlining this night - the singer showing her amazing talents that will only get better as she gets older; the drummer showing amazing talent for her age rarely, missing a beat and fills that would make John Bonham blush, a guitarist whose subtlety sometimes in fact made you sit up and listen and a bassist who not only kept the beat down, but could actually play. This band are worth seeing - now or, indeed, in 3 years time when maturity experience and an improvement in stage presence should make them one of the best metal bands in Leeds. For now, though, go see them while you can.
