Sensefield

I’ve heard many things about the Leeds punk scene in recent years but, walking over the bridge that arches over Leeds’ Inner Ring Road towards the infamous punk rock haunt, _Joseph’s Well _the amount of people gathered outside and loitering round the entrance does stumble me a bit. Although Manchester’s only an hour away on the train you really would be pushed to get a third of the people here at a gig.

And inside the actual venue it gets even more packed, and sweaty, as the assembled throng watch Local emo upstarts Afraid of The Dark. Fronted by a sultry Sandra Bullock look-a-like AOTD offer up some nicely crafted and at times delicate post-hardcore treats. Her vocals however seem kinda timid and lack in real confidence (I guess you would too if you had 200 burly hardcore types staring at you). It’s like you want to take her to an *F-Minus *concert and let two girls with proper punk rock attitude show her how it’s done.

But I guess that’s not her style. However, if she was able to harness her voice in a *Matt Bellamy *fashion AOTD would no doubt be an enticing act in the future.

The next band on will need no introduction this time next year. They’re a band you’re gonna crave more than smacking Jade from Big Brother in the face. *Jerry Built *are in the house and are gonna rock your socks off! Right from the start they have the power and punch that most bands dream of, evidently born to be on that stage. Taking the current melodic punk sound Jerry Built inject it with English hardcore energy and together with their very own *Bez *(Happy Mondays) providing *Malcolm in The Middle *theme-tune style keyboard effects in between jumping around like a madman both onstage and in the crowd, the pace just doesn’t let up.

They’re going to be supporting *Garrison *on their upcoming tour with *Kids Near Water *and if you’ve got any sense you’ll get there early and see what I mean.

Cult American emo-rock act *Sensefield *round off the evening and by the amount of cheers greeting them as they start and finish each song there’s a few people chuffed at the fact. Although at first Sensefield give the impression that they’re verging on MOR punk rock like *Armchair Martians *it may just be the come-down from Jerry Built that makes their sensitive melodies harder to understand. And by the end of the set they gradually begin to win me over.

With Sensefield their aim is to envelop you with their warm blanket guitars and rock you back and forth invoking all kinds of emotions through their tame intricate style. Unfortunately for them the promoters picked the wrong support band for tonight, because after the storming set by Jerry Built it was a bit of a let down.