Bloodstock - Pure Blood DVD Launch Party
Biomechanical / Panic Cell / Invey
12 September 2004
Camden Underworld
Continuing his support of British metal, Mr Bloodstock himself, Vince Brotheridge, is the mastermind behind a new Bloodstock collective of unsigned or independently signed artists. The collective has been christened the New Blood Of British Metal (NBOBM) and the first fruits of this is a new DVD featuring 12 bands: Biomechanical, 5th Man Down, Fourwaykill, Illuminatus, Infobia, Intense, Invey, Liquid Sky, Mercury Rain, Nowhere Near the Garden, Panic Cell and The Prophecy.
Tonight`s show was a launch party for the DVD, featuring three of the NBOBM bands, a large screen video playback of many of the videos and attendance by many of the other bands involved. In addition press, Bloodstock organisers, other bands and lots of familiar faces were present for what, post Bloodstock, was a great get together supporting a novel idea.
First up were Invey and having unfortunately missed their recent Bloodstock appearance, I was looking forward to catching them tonight. Of course vocalist Claire Natalie is an obvious focal point for the band. She`s a former Vogue model and prior to doors opening tonight, had been doing a photo-shoot outside, watched with curiosity by a crowd of passers by.
Guitarist Ed Cridland, initially tricks us into thinking he`s a bit subdued tonight casually nodding along in his woolly hat. However, by second song, You Don`t Know, the hat is gone and he`s banging along to the tunes infectious groove.
Claire was also giving her all, so much so that a costume change to a Bloodstock shirt was required mid set. Claire handled this with the minimum of fuss, saying it`s not only Britney who can have costume changes.
I was fortunate to pick up a copy of Invey`s Release EP from Claire at Bloodstock and all four tracks from that featured in tonight`s set. Diamond is the first to be played and is considerably heavier than the recorded version due to Ed`s huge guitar sound. Hopefully this will be captured on the band`s next studio recordings.
Release is the track that features on the Bloodstock DVD and its catchy call/reply chorus has many shouting along in recognition.
The Invey sound is hard to pin down and is described on their website as "skate-ready punk and twisted grunge over a jagged metal infrastructure". That kind of encompasses the variety, but at times, such as on closing number Bring It On, the roaring guitar and snappy vocals surprisingly had me thinking of Bad Brains.
Invey set list:
Not Listening / You Don't Know Me / Diamond / What You're Giving To Me / Release / Grind Me / This Hurts / I Take It / Bring It On
Following Invey`s set it`s about turn 180 degrees to check out some of the promo videos on the DVD on a giant screen facing directly at the stage. If you haven`t yet picked up a copy I would advise you to, as it is a great showcase of promising British metal.
Panic Cell seem to be on a quest to play more gigs than anybody else and this would be my second of three planned encounters with them within three weeks. With many bands, that would be too much to take, but not Panic Cell, who are as enthralling each time I see them.
Tonight`s set consisted of the same songs played at Panic Cell`s successful main stage Bloodstock appearance, but with the opening and closing of the setlist jumbled adding freshness. Traditional closer, The End, starts proceedings with the massive guitars of Harjeet Virdee and Kelly Downes and rumbling bottom end bass of Bobby Town present and correct as ever.
This was of course a release party and there`s a really relaxed atmosphere like Panic Cell are playing to a bunch of friends tonight. Luke Bell is as jovial as ever and on introducing their track from the DVD, Save Me, Luke advises us to buy it so we can see he`s much better looking in real life, before adding, "Damn straight I`m ugly!".
Ugly is not a word that you would associate with Thousand Words, Panic Cell`s latest song transferred to celluloid. Power Ballad may be two words that could be used whilst holding your lighter aloft, though be sure we`re not talking about something of 80`s big hair variety as this is one dark song and could be a springboard for bigger things if it gets sufficient rotation.
Like at Bloodstock, Claire from Invey joins the band to assist with a rousing finale of Away From Here and as usual, Panic Cell steal the honours of set of the night.
Panic Cell set list:
The End / Nothing / Shallow / Save Me / Thousand Words / Damn Self Pity / Away From Here
Following another selection from the Bloodstock DVD, Biomechanical take the stage with the ink still drying on a new four album deal with Earache/Elitist Records. They opened with the title track from The Empires Of The Worlds, the first album due from that deal in early 2005. Biomechanical have a very complex sound and it initially seemed to be one that the soundman was having problems deciphering.
Things were settling down however by Do You Know Me, one of the catchiest songs from debut album Eight Moons and moved up a gear for The Awakening.
Having seen singer Jon K perform twice recently with his other band Balance Of Power, it`s a very different performance tonight, incorporating coarser vocals and less use of his high end clarity. He is however as off the wall as ever, with between song Rob Halford alike "Oh yeah`s!" and publicly picking on this scribe for trying to get a photo of the set list.
Hunted melted into No Shadows, with my brain becoming addled by the Byzantine riffing of Jamie Hunt and Chris Webb. Hunt`s guitar is practically choking him his strap is so short whilst his fingers speed across the fretboard.
A couple of new songs, Regenerated and Assaulter close the selection of their own material, before a run through of Slayer`s Raining Blood which sounded like a pop song compared to what had preceded it. There`s still time left however and getting into the party atmosphere a boisterous version of Creeping Death closes the set.
Biomechanical are a unique band with a sound that ranges from the intensity of Strapping Young Lad, via Nevermore`s class to the madness of Meshuggah. It`s not difficult to understand why they have been snapped up and I look forward to hearing the results on cd.
Biomechanical set list:
The Empires Of The Worlds / Do You Know Me / The Awakening / Hunted / No Shadows / Distorted / Regenerated / Assaulter / Raining Blood / Creeping Death
LINKS:
Invey
Panic Cell
Biomechanical
Bloodstock
New Blood Of British Metal
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