Lostprophets

The Peel Pub in Kingston has played heart to a thriving local music scene for many years, publicising and praising unrecognised talent in its infancy. Providing bands with support slots on the tail of better known groups, as well as rehearsal space and lots of advertising mean that bands respect and grow to love this maternal venue. I guess that’s why they play their hearts out whenever they perform there! Tonight was no exception – apart from headliners Lost Prophets, both Hundred Reasons and Aphid admit regular attendance to this thriving venue seemingly set in the middle of a creative void of second hand car showrooms, housing estates and 24 hour fish food stores. Tonight was definitely one of the best line-ups the Peel has managed to pull together, all four bands on the bill could be massive - two hotly tipped for imminent rock stardom and financial success (fingers crossed).

First to ‘spice it up a little’ were firm neighbourhood favourites Aphid, playing the first of TWO gigs arranged for this evening. Storming through their set (presumably because they had to jet off to headline another venue 15 miles away straight afterwards) Aphid attack the stage with a barrage of new material, written after a short but worthwhile break from music over previous months. Vocally, Aphid are superb, with as much bite and bile as any other modern metal band could hope to achieve. As a group however, certain members seem somewhat overshadowed by the comparatively mammoth presence of singer Sanj and it is his overbearing showmanship and confidence that bring Aphid together, into something more than a band churning out riffs with an up tempo beat. As you’ll see, if we learnt nothing else from tonight, we realised that confidence, presence, excitement, realism, charm and personality count for so much in a performance. The way songs are approached and attacked is almost more important than the music itself. The music is only a vessel to carry people’s opinions, emotions and feelings. The more dramatically you perform, the more intense you will come across.

As Aphid trail off into the sunset, in a sea of drum kits and yellow V.W.Vans, Scuttle take to the stage with some fine punk rock antics. Mixing catchy vocal sections with hard smashing drums and slack punk guitars with a rock edge, Scuttle prove they are willing contenders in the battle that is 21st centaury rock and roll. All five band members bounce profusely around the already cramped stage, boundless energy fuelling them in their own personal moshfest. Scuttle appear not to have the passion of other bands tonight unfortunately, and where in Aphid Sanj stuck out as a central figurehead who could lead his band to world domination, there are no members of this band who provide a lasting impression.

Hundred Reasons are set to become gods. Lead singer Colin, with buckets of personality and inches of thick, full on afro, has already developed into an expressive, emotional singer, leaping around the stage, like a man possessed by the emo-rock style, selection of songs in the band’s set. Hundred Reasons, tighter than ever, rage with the power of their music, each instrument coming across with a personality of their own if listened to individually or as part of one astounding mass of staggering musical passion. Songs writhe, twisting and turning, constantly changing in tempo and style leaving us without a minute to think about just how incredible Hundred Reasons are.

Every last ticket holder to the sold out night of rock has by now arrived at the absolutely packed Peel. Positions are taken up, people cramming in to the tiny pit as far as possible, making the venue unbelievably hot, but absolutely no one here would care about things like overheating, we’re here to see one of the best new bands of 2001, part of the new breed of British competitors for the Nu-metal stage, the Lost Prophets. The background music stops and the intro tunes begin. A singer who looks like a better kept Casey Chaos takes centre stage and in comes the awesome guitar riff that could only mean the beginning of fakesoundofprogress, a stand out track from debut album of the same name. This band has magic. They have absolute control over everyone here tonight; in a way only those bands set to become superstars can manage. There is, for the whole length of their fifty-minute set, a total connection between all six members of the Lost Prophets and the lunging mass of bodies in the audience. Never before have I seen a crowd surfer at the Peel touch the ceiling in the pit. Never before have I seen people jump SO high as tonight.

Cable-less guitars mean that the band can dive, jump, dance, go mad, and have fits, all the way throughout the set, all adding to the wonder content of this band. Every song is so potent, surging with a refined rawness and incredible intensity. Songs with smashing drums, dual shock riffs from two guitars and a turn-tablist who adds some impressive shrieks to back the deliriously sweet vocals, make up what is known as the sound of Lost Prophets. After rocking us to pieces, the band collapse on the stage floor, where singer remains until fellow band mates pull the plug on ringing distortion. Outside, minutes later, steam exudes from those who have put everything they possibly could into tonight’s gig. A truly astounding evening.