The Scaramanga Six @ Joseph's Well
By Rory Holl
Well blimey! I walk into Joseph's Well at about 3:20pm after standing in the pissing rain for 20 minutes outside the place (yes, you said you were opening at three!) but at least it gave me chance to sober up slightly seeing as I had been in Carpe Diem for the three previous hours and was somewhat jolly already. Very soon after I walk into the venue I meet a few people I know and we all go down to the stage area.
First up are Vessels. They plug in what looks like a very expensive wad of equipment and then they start messing with their samplers and synths. A long guitar intro opens the set with a real psychedelic and dreamy feel and then they proceed to their next song which includes belting drums, noisy synth whirls and soaring guitars that made me think my ears were bleeding as Vessels burst into an epic soundscape of post rock, progressive music that puts iLiKETRAiNS to shame! The whole set winds on, offering more fuzzy, dreamy psychedelic flavours and the set ends and I feel like I'm coming down from an acid trip!
Vessels are a great band of very clever musicians and they can only get better, and I can't wait to see them again! After a couple more in the bar area the next band that I am happy to see grace the stage are The Downfall, a band that have been together since the mid nineties and are still only in their twenties! They announce (rather chirpily) that this will be their last gig at Joseph's Well and one of the last they will be doing altogether, which saddens quite a few faces in the crowd.
They burst into their set with plenty of tracks from their new album "Transporter" and Wally (the newish drummer, and also organiser of today's big gig) keeps pounding the skins in perfect time as if he wrote the songs with the band as he pulls each song off with ease. Dan poses and gurns around the stage as he executes some terrific basslines that make your chest pound and Dunk delivers his spot on guitar work and his angelic vocals that soon turn into a window shaking scream, a voice that is instantly recognisable once you have heard them for the first time. They treat us with some of the top tracks of the album including the emo-tastic (hehe) "Caught on Camera" and the scream-alicious "Over Now" which are tracks that I've been humming to since I got to bed last night and right up to the time I'm writing this review!
I'm sure there will be a select few who are really going to miss The Downfall, I know I will but good luck to each one of them in the future! I'm just supping yet another pint and I have pretty much re-fuelled my earlier state of drunkenness when I suddenly hear a band take the stage with a real raucous punk sound. It's none other than Leeds old schoolers The Terminals which feature Joseph's Well's very own house engineer on guitar and Chris the doorman on drums. For a band that have been around for a long time, it obviously doesn't seem like they have become egotistical or "up their own arses" as some say. No, The Terminals play punk rock that just makes you want to move, a mix of anthemic Pistols/Ramones-esque tunes get the crowd tapping their feet, a few jumping around and they leave the stage leaving a smile on everyone's face, including mine.
Last but not least, shame I couldn't stay but I had other arrangements at about 9pm (like going home and trying to sleep off the fact that I was getting hangover whilst still drinking!) The Scaramanga Six take the stage. A young happy looking blonde lad on drums, a mysterious looking lady on a guitar, the almighty Morricone brothers on guitar and bass and at the side of the stage Leeds' own Chris Catylyst sets up against his keyboard and his tom, snare and cymbal percussion set. Must be nice for Chris to get back to the smaller venues after touring in front of thousands with the Sisters Of Mercy! (well, maybe!)
The Scaramanga Six then tear into their set with tracks from their upcoming album, and fuck me they are loud! Who says a pop and roll band cant raise the fucking roof?! The Scaramanga Six are probably in the running for being the best band in Leeds. They have been together now since the early 90's, although with major line-up changes! Why the hell aren't they up their topping the UK charts!? I would describe their sound as the perfect pop music, with their catchy melodies ad upbeat songs for the commercial fans and their quirky lyrics and psycho-energetic stage presence for the most alternative of music fan.
Highlights of tonight's set are the crazy harmonic sound of "I wear my heart on my sleeve" then the quirky new single "Baggage" which has a chorus that I swear that once listened to it sticks in your brain forever.
And a personal favourite is the hilarious, catchy, fun and strange number "Vesuvius" where Steve explains to the crowd that he's a volcano with "Steaming hot magma". It's just that craziness that makes me love The Scaramanga Six and of course their ability to write a stonking tune!
They finish their set and I leave the Well with my head buzzing from a night of such good and diverse music. This has to be one of the best gigs in Leeds I have ever been to and I just had to write a review of it. So after all them bands and not really wanting to go back home, what shall I do? I know! Pop into Carpe Diem for a few more, and yes, my head does hurt tremendously today!
