Ent Review of The Cellar Sessions @ King’s
By Richard Butler
Saturday February 1st 2002
The dark King’s Cellars were the venue for this well-attended CUR1350 event, ably showcasing some of the student guitar scene. Four-piece Slider start the evening off with their enthusiastic, if a little amateurish, stabs at melodic indie-rock (influenced possibly by the Stereophonics and Red Hot Chilli Peppers). They finished with Technophobe, a more exciting number, which was consequently their best track. Not bad, but a little more energy wouldn’t go amiss.
Skadust look amazing in regulation two-tone: sharp black suits, trilbies, white shirts and dark glasses. Featuring a brass section, the seven strong band play classics by the Specials, Prince Buster and Madness, as well as fantastic Ska covers of the Beach Boys’ Help Me, Rhonda, the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby and the theme tunes to Grange Hill and Dallas. Meanwhile the Cellars erupt with people dancing the only way you can to Ska: like a complete idiot, but like you’re having the time of your life. They finish of course, with Madness’ frenetic Baggy Trousers. How did I forget Ska was so much fun? The excellent headliners Akira continue in a fine post-rock tradition of attempting to turn your skull inside out with their dense layered guitar and vocals almost lost beneath the shards of white noise. The influences (Sonic Youth, Slint) are obvious and anyone who has seen Mogwai live will be familiar with this music, but it’s all carried out with enthusiastic verve. If, like me, there’s never enough noisy art-rock in your life, I recommend checking out Akira’s next show.
