iLiKETRAiNS @ Cockpit
By Dave Procter
We arrive to the sound of a cat being tortured. Who can be perpetrating such a hideous act? It's ex-Hope Of The States band, Troubles. They are dull. They've got 3 guitars onstage - I want my fucking head blown off, not lightly licked by the aforementioned cat. Rubbish. I'm pleased to say that iLiKETRAiNS are on the right tracks and we are on the correct platform. "25 Sins" starts the journey through backdrop filmed, lushly architectured nuggets of sound scrapage. This band know how to use the guitars in their hands, and singer Dave Martin, a quiet amiable lad offstage, once into the vocals onstage, is a scarier proposition as his baritone, well, scares. "The Deception" follows and debate is rife as to whether this is a song about the Falklands War and the sinking of the Belgrano or Montevideo and the sinking of the Graf Spee. It's the crash cymbal's shadow over the screen, hard to tell. Either way we're being educated both aurally and cerebrally. "We All Fall Down" covers a discussion of a village hit by the Plague and coupled with "Terra Nova", turns the brooding darkness meter up further. This all culminates in the final episode as new single "Spencer Percival" makes its appearance. The new single has two sides - the events surrounding the aforementioned from assassin and assassinated. We get the assassins viewpoint and I remark to myself that it's strange how he's been the only UK Prime Minister to be killed in office. Save for the IRA's attempt on the Witch's life in 1984, Major and Blair have got off scott free. A disappointment. Encores are duly provided with "Before The Curtains Close (part 2)" and a stunning "The Beeching Report", which is almost entirely sung back to the band by a full Cockpit main room. These people are mouthing the words of socialism - could iLT be the progenitors of a new Left movement? Exciting times indeed...
