Aside from finding a miniature version of a large blonde friend of mine, last nights gig in Hobos, Bridgend, had a number of surprises in store whilst also reminding me; why it sucks to see bands you like who arent-as-big-as-they-should-be live, but also why its really good too. It was a pretty drab Sunday in all fairness but the gig made up for that, so Ill not go on and on and just get down to reviewing the gig. First on were Violet, a youthful six piece from Derby who whilst showing a lot of promise, and a lot of talent in musicianship and vocals, seemed to be a little bit indebted to their influences especially Dance Gavin Dance. Its no bad thing wearing your influences on your sleeve but it came across more like Dance Gavin Dance Jr than anything, but the band are young and still growing into themselves; its likely any issues like this will be ironed out as they go on record they sound more themselves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2mcVwliL9U&feature=share&list=UUxEFHh4s1RisiPzI2I2zsZQ Affiance were up next and, though an older band, were another example of playing it a bit too close to your influences and inspirations in this case Killswitch Engage and Protest The Hero. Whilst the band put on a solid set and got the, quite minimal still, crowd going the over familiarity of their sound let them down a bit, despite clear technical prowess on their instruments and a comfortably charismatic frontman. http://youtu.be/4fNciuYKXDM Biggest Surprise Of The Night Award goes to Closure In Moscow, and here are the reasons why; after the metalcore of Affiance has finished, band members start to soundcheck; these band members are wearing waistcoats, bowties, velvet dinner jackets, curtain-like floral patterned blazers; the riffs they start soundchecking are bluesy rocknroll numbers; their singer arrives to soundcheck and he is that guy you saw earlier at the back of the room wearing a red boiler suit who has long multi-toned purpleish hair and a powerful blue moustache; said singer check the mic with a blast of The Darkness I Believe In A Thing Called Love; when he speaks he sounds like Rhys Darby aka Murray aka Flight Of The Conchords band manager. I fell in love with this band. Once the band started playing, all who her were sceptical quickly came around as they tore through songs with elements of funk, jazz, psychedelia and intricate post-hardcore at given moments sounding reminiscent of The Mars Volta; at their most accessible but weird. On top of this the performance and stage persona of vocalist Christopher de Cinque won everyone in the crowd over. Especially with sound-bite quotes about our being fleeting orgasms on the cosmic stream and certain passages of song being described as a more sensual retelling of the Crimean war. http://youtu.be/_Zd6AtN1PSw Criminally underappreciated and unassuming headliners Dance Gavin Dance make to the stage; going some way to show just why its great to see a band you really like who arent-as-big-as-they-should-be live, and why it also sucks. The reasons that its awesome are easy; the venue is intimate and sweaty; you are in incredibly close proximity to the band; theres a greater connection between band and audience; the band wander around the venue and sell their own merchandise; everyone is usually scream/singing along just as hard as you are. However, the reasons its not always great are few, but key; the band dont get the turnout that they deserve; they have to play short sets; they play a Sunday and have to finish at a stupidly early time. This gig was unfortunately guilty of all three of those crimes, and it was completely out of the bands control. Though the gig isnt sold out, its still pretty full by the time DGD are on stage and everyone is into it enough to make up for that. The set-time is way too short, and the band acknowledge this themselves with equal disappointment. Im out of the gig and in my mates car heading home by 10 oclock. This includes buying merch after the band finishing, shaking hands with impressive new singer Tilian Pearson and inappropriately/awkwardly congratulating Closure In Moscows singer on a great gig whilst in the toilets. http://youtu.be/b0ZsV3Fzzoo The set itself though, the band themselves, and the songs themselves? Awesome. The band make the most of their short set by mixing and matching cuts from their various albums and play a number of my favourites in the process songs like Spooks, Uneasy Hearts Weigh The Most and Me And Zoloft Get Along Just Fine have crowd electric and loud. They also air a new track, and teaser for their as-yet-untitled new album, in the shape of Jesus H. Macy that promises good things for this current line-up of the band. Speaking of which, now official members Josh Benton and Tim Feerick fit in perfectly to the instrumental backing alongside mainstays Will Swan and Matt Mingus. New vocalist Tilian Pearson also fits the band just right with an impressive vocal range that makes light work of the melodies offered up by the soulful and impressive ranges of the clean vocalists before him Jonny Craig and Kurt Travis. Also displaying a great interplay with original unclean vocalist Jon Mess. The band express their disappointment in having to finish, and an inability to leave (given the venue and stage) and return for an encore so just play straight through and finish on the always brilliant, and old school, Lemon Meringue Tie. http://youtu.be/K71ZEN4bHaA