{"id":2657,"date":"2013-04-28T08:07:11","date_gmt":"2013-04-28T08:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/?p=2657"},"modified":"2013-06-17T09:47:33","modified_gmt":"2013-06-17T09:47:33","slug":"five-bands-for-a-fiver-free-sat-20042013-cowtown-beards-drenge-menace-beach-etai-keshiki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/2013\/04\/28\/five-bands-for-a-fiver-free-sat-20042013-cowtown-beards-drenge-menace-beach-etai-keshiki\/","title":{"rendered":"Five bands for free!! Sat 20\/04\/2013 COWTOWN + BEARDS + DRENGE + MENACE BEACH + ETAI KESHIKI"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"gig-poster\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It was Cowtown\u2019s\u00a0 new album launch night \u2013 coinciding with record shop day – they brought four other Leeds bands [just found out one is from Sheffield] with them for a free gig. All new (to me), all great (to me and Steve) and I went away with a smile and my first new vinyl in maybe 15, maybe 20 years. A great night.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t looking like it was going to be an exciting night \u2013 7.30 am I got a call to go an d fix my mum\u2019s plumbing in Stockport. While under the sink Steve texts: \u201cfancy coming to the Brudenell to see Drench \u2013 the guardian says they\u2019re worth it. \u2026 and its free\u201d. \u201cOk if I get back in time I might\u201d was my less than enthusiastic response. Any way \u2013 I did get back and I did go\u00a0 – and it was the best gigging night for a very long time \u2013 FIVE Leeds bands,\u00a0 all First up was different, all with something special.<\/p>\n

First up was Etai Keshiki\u00a0 (apparently pronounced: eh tie keh shee kee<\/i>). Their singer (Kayleigh) screeches and their guitarist (Daria) rocks \u2026 and really does keep the tunes pumping out. She also sings into an old telephone handset which was pretty cool. You know the band\u2019s good when you and you mate are grinning after the first song. They were great \u2013 I might not listen in the kitchen at home \u2013 but I\u2019d certainly go to the next gig. If you like a bit of noise with a great guitar tune go too.<\/p>\n

\"etai\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Next was Menace Beach. Three guitars, base and drums and may be some keyboards. Some good tunes, nice sound. I could listen to a few more \u2026 but the set was short! I forgot to take a photo, sorry. It looks like they have a few gigs coming up \u2013 one in May at the Brudenell.<\/p>\n

Next up was Drenge. Not sure about the name, Steve, who I had to thanks for this great night was enjoying it as much as me, but seemed a bit apprehensive of the guardian\u2019s review as they\u2019d got everything else wrong\u2026 however before the band I popped to the bar and another smile came to my face when I saw the \u201cSid&Nancy: Record shop day ale\u201d. The only downer of the night \u2026 I was driving and a 6.9% ale is several percent too much for a gig goer. Let\u2019s hope its still on next time I\u2019m down the Brudenell.<\/p>\n

\"record-shop-day-beer\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Back to the gig: Drenge. A TWO piece it turn out. You wouldn\u2019t know it if you heard them. I certainly didn\u2019t until I looked a bit harder after their first song. One guitarists and One drummer. They sounded like the six-piece that had gone before them. Great tunes great effect and original sound.<\/p>\n

\"drench\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Just read what the guardian said: \u201cA punky blues-rock duo from the Peak District obsessed with Danish avant-garde cinema.\u201d \u2026 may be. Go and see them for the tunes, and wow at the sound a two piece can produce.<\/p>\n

At this point we bumped into Jonny, an old gigging\/football going mate of Steve\u2019s whose joie de vivre<\/i> is beer, Newcastle united and gigging (esp. at the brudenell) and a big fan of No-Means-No and Fugazi. We had a good chat about these bands as they were both in my favourites from the days down at the Duchess. He was well up on the next two bands \u2026 apparently Cowtown were \u201ca bit of of Gang of four and a bit of Wire\u201d \u2026 \u2018should be good\u2019 we though. However the next band was Beards.<\/p>\n

Beards are a guitarist (Dicko in the vest), a basist (a left-handed-lady) and a drummer (another lady who is also the lead singer). These three produced some interesting funky type (i.e. not funky) sounds with really prominent base and high pitched chanting and screaming from behind the drum kit. Great stuff. Lots of nice rhythms chopping and changing and they are really tight.<\/p>\n

\"beards\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Next the headliners: Cowtown. Jonny knew the Korg player Hilary .. (I think they both work at the art gallery). He told us they have been around for years (8?). This is their 3rd<\/sup> album \u2026 how have we missed them? The place was packed by now \u2013 it had been all night \u2013 but all the Cowtowners were down at the front by now. They are a three piece, the Korg player, a guitarist\/singer and a drummer.<\/p>\n

\"cowtown\"<\/a><\/p>\n

They have a load of great\u00a0 tunes \u2013 and a great sound \u2026 just how do they do it without a bass player (come to think of it, this is the second band tonight with no bass.) Were \u2026 they like Gang of four\/Wire I\u2019m not sure,\u00a0 but they were pretty good. Pretty poppy \u2026 but not poppy\u2026 The crowd was dancing away everyone seemed to be enjoying the night as much as me and Steve. Last song and of course an encore. Jon\u00a0 the singer said something about people think they sound like Devo \u2013 may be \u2013 then they played some Devo.<\/p>\n

I was impressed and smiling and still having my beer money and entrance fee in my pocket I couldn\u2019t resist buying the album: Dudes vs Bad Dudes. My first vinyl for donkey\u2019s years (I\u2019ve got to set up my turntable, so yet to play it \u2013 but it came with a free download \u2013 so it sin itunes.) It great to study that cover on t he way home (as Steve did \u2013 I was driving!) .. just like the good old days.<\/p>\n

\"cowtown-disc\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It looks like Cowtown have a few dates coming up\u2026 and are back at the Brudenell on 2nd<\/sup> Aug at the \u00a0Out of Spite Festival.<\/a> Catch em there.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sledge<\/p>\n

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It was Cowtown\u2019s\u00a0 new album launch night \u2013 coinciding with record shop day – they brought four other Leeds bands [just found out one is from Sheffield] with them for a free gig. All new (to me), all great (to … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gigs-reviews","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2657"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2667,"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions\/2667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sleigh-munoz.co.uk\/quims\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}