Unclejohnny @ Packhorse
By Lewis Denby
Every time I go to the Packhorse, Leeds seems to be in the middle of a hurricane or similar. The walk from the city centre up to Hyde Park is a blustery and soaking one, but once inside things start to pick up immensely, with one of the most impressive local lineups at the venue in some time.
Silverlode are first up, playing through an upbeat, acoustic driven 20-minute set. The band have only been playing live for a few months, and it shows at times: it's not particularly tight and the band seem a little coy onstage. Still, they have some excellent pop songs in their roster, and they go down well with the small crowd there to watch them.
As is typical for opening bands, the main bulk of the crowd arrives about three seconds after Silverlode leave the stage, meaning the majority of clients tonight are privileged enough to witness a storming set from Spitfire Charlie. Refined to the extreme, their brand of quirky indie rock sports a lot of influences, but Spitfire Charlie sound a fair amount more professional than the great majority of their contemporaries on the local, and even national, scene. Vocalist John Roberts dives around the place like a madman at times, but never misses a note. A very impressive half hour.
Shame for them that Vatican Jet hit the stage next. If there's one band in Leeds that sums up the word 'professional', it's these guys. Playing a short, snappy set, VJ go down an absolute treat, with the now-pretty-busy Packhorse giving a warm reception to every inch-perfect pop-rock tune they play. Their set is flawlessly tight from the outset and vocalist Dodge is lively as always. Only criticism is that the rhythm guitar is practically inaudible, but since this isn't their fault at all, it seems reasonable to forgive them for this.
Last on the bill tonight are Unclejohnny who, unfortunately, play to a crowd now slightly diminished. Their interesting collection of bluesy rock tunes goes down well with those still in attendance, though, and rightly so. It's a good set, and a good end to an excellent evening. Still, the night belonged to the duo of bands preceding them.
