Brighton Coalition, 2th April

Although newly-opened venue The Coalition can hold around 650 people, tonight there were only around 15, including XYZ’s Mo Mostowfi, on hand to see three Brighton bands in ‘Totally Unsigned’.

New band The Cavalry have only been together for six months, and it shows. They put on a brave performance despite a total lack of atmosphere in the venue, due to the fact that there was hardly anyone there, and nobody really cared whether or not they were playing. The Cavalry should treat this gig as a rehearsal and remember what practice makes. Unfortunately, the slightly more adventurous Orchid Trip couldn’t pull it off either. Their sound was a lot harder and very percussive. But, in order to pull that off you need a tight drummer, which Orchid Trip lacked. There were times when the band sounded out of sync and even atonal.

Headliners MYIQ are a tight, confident band raising their profile by embarking on a tour. Despite having only played seven gigs, their image befits a rock ‘n’ roll band, although there was nothing exciting happening onstage. With plenty of bands doing a similar thing, songs need to stay with the audience, and MYIQ haven’t reached that stage yet. Maybe if they stick at it they’ll eventually get a strong set list together, because they certainly can play their instruments.

‘Totally Unsigned’ is a good idea and a great way for new bands to play in stylish surroundings. Tonight, there weren’t enough people to make it a memorable, and these bands are still teething.

Words by Mo mostowfi
Photos by Bill Thomson