The Computers / PJP Band / Honey
Bunters, Truro
Review by Lee Trewhela
A VISCERAL air of sex, violence, sweat and beer, a big dumb smile on your face and a damn good musical bludgeoning – the perfect gig, in other words.
There's a time and a place for soul-soothing, worthy and thought-provoking concert experiences. But nothing beats the primal electric pummelling of a band on fire.
The Computers were so hot this week that Bunters almost self-immolated.
The Exeter band certainly look the part – all perfectly coiffured and clad in white, like The Hives' country cousins. They sound the part too – a blistering amalgam of rock'n'roll riffs, hardcore punk intensity and soul preacherman vocals.
All the best bands look and act like a gang and The Computers are definitely in the cooler than thou lineage of The Clash, Rocket From The Crypt et al.
As well as giddying anthems like Music Is Dead up their sleeve, the band's secret weapon is vocalist/guitarist Screamin' Al Kershaw, a born frontman (maybe he inherited something from uncle Nik). A ball of tattooed energy with perfect James Dean hair and a manic hectoring soul prophet edge (think Nation of Ulysses' Ian Svenonius), he caroused through the crowd playing guitar at the other end of the venue before being lifted dangerously close to the ceiling as men, some old enough to know better, created the sort of mental moshpit not seen since the early Nineties.
As perfect a headline slot as I've seen in these parts, helped by support from the ever-growing sound of The PJP Band.
Now with added guitar, Launceston's (now Plymouth) Patrick James Pearson, with his dirty Jesus looks gets more charismatic with every gig, using his keyboards as a weapon – this is where prog meets punk to glorious effect, best heard on new single I Am A Racer.
Though I do have reservations about him moving further and further away from the singular, idiosyncratic sound of his solo days – now that was really different.
Opening with fierce abandon were relatively new Cornish trio Honey. Evil riff scree is the order of the day with the ghosts of Babes In Toyland and Hole infecting their filthy souls. Impressive.
Hats off to our genial host Liam Jolly, a promoter who has done more for bringing bands like The Computers to Cornwall than any other person. Stage dive in his honour next time ....
Bunters, Truro
Review by Lee Trewhela
A VISCERAL air of sex, violence, sweat and beer, a big dumb smile on your face and a damn good musical bludgeoning – the perfect gig, in other words.
There's a time and a place for soul-soothing, worthy and thought-provoking concert experiences. But nothing beats the primal electric pummelling of a band on fire.
The Computers were so hot this week that Bunters almost self-immolated.
The Exeter band certainly look the part – all perfectly coiffured and clad in white, like The Hives' country cousins. They sound the part too – a blistering amalgam of rock'n'roll riffs, hardcore punk intensity and soul preacherman vocals.
All the best bands look and act like a gang and The Computers are definitely in the cooler than thou lineage of The Clash, Rocket From The Crypt et al.
As well as giddying anthems like Music Is Dead up their sleeve, the band's secret weapon is vocalist/guitarist Screamin' Al Kershaw, a born frontman (maybe he inherited something from uncle Nik). A ball of tattooed energy with perfect James Dean hair and a manic hectoring soul prophet edge (think Nation of Ulysses' Ian Svenonius), he caroused through the crowd playing guitar at the other end of the venue before being lifted dangerously close to the ceiling as men, some old enough to know better, created the sort of mental moshpit not seen since the early Nineties.
As perfect a headline slot as I've seen in these parts, helped by support from the ever-growing sound of The PJP Band.
Now with added guitar, Launceston's (now Plymouth) Patrick James Pearson, with his dirty Jesus looks gets more charismatic with every gig, using his keyboards as a weapon – this is where prog meets punk to glorious effect, best heard on new single I Am A Racer.
Though I do have reservations about him moving further and further away from the singular, idiosyncratic sound of his solo days – now that was really different.
Opening with fierce abandon were relatively new Cornish trio Honey. Evil riff scree is the order of the day with the ghosts of Babes In Toyland and Hole infecting their filthy souls. Impressive.
Hats off to our genial host Liam Jolly, a promoter who has done more for bringing bands like The Computers to Cornwall than any other person. Stage dive in his honour next time ....
