Four Bands and a Fun Time

Last night I went to a gig. The sixth 'Unite Against Fasism' concert in Portsmouth. I was asked along to help The Strict Machines with equipment moving, setup, and checking - which as it turned out they didn't need. I bought my video camera and filmed what I could of the event.

First up were my friends The Strict Machines. Anna the singer had had one hell of a day at work, and was feeling stressed and upset. She's a real trooper and a perfectionist - or if you prefer, incapable of admitting weakness until it overcomes her, and never happy with her own performance. Paul the guitarist was his usual self - extremely enthusiastic, randomly resentful, and with a talent almost as big as his ego. Fabio the drummer was his usual phlegmatic Italian self.

Second were a thrash band - Ashes to Empires. Their wall of guitar fuzz and gutteral roaring was actually very effective, because it was puntuated with some well played and tuneful passages. The lead singer 'sang' with a deep throaty roar that would get respect from Extreme Noise Terror. And spoke between tracks in a sweetly clipped, middle class voice. I spoke to them briefly afterwards - friendly teenagers with pierced faces. Oddly professional in their outlook.

Next was Goffman. Excellent blues-funk - most of the audiance got up and danced. I'd decided to film them from floor level - so it's hardly my fault that a lot of gyrating figures unexpectedly started grooving around the shot. Or that I was directly underneath a pair of very nice teenage buttocks. Anyway...

Finally, Silicon Sun - probably the most musical and varied of the bands, but somehow the most boring. All kinds of guitar stumming from Simon & Garfunkel to Black Sabbath.

Unfortunately, the UAF organisers had somehow never got around to publicising the event, or organising for it. So the audiance consisted of the bands and their friends, there were no political flyers or leaflets, and no little speeches. The music was very good, but the 'point' of the gig was absent.