+ LINEAR
LEICESTER, CHARLOTTE
Linear look like hip indie kids, they sound like well kinda a 90’s indie rock band. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone play this type of music in a long while, unfortunately there does seem to be a reason for this. The heavy bass lines accompanied by a slightly repetitive guitars is particularly unimaginative and fails to grab my attention, coupled with a lack of stage presence it makes for slightly dull viewing. This said Linear do get a lot better towards the end of the set and I enjoy a few songs. They remind me slightly of Kasabian but less new rock n roll, which can only hinder them. I hate Kasabian.
One Dog Clapping. Someone revoke this bands copy of ‘Permission to Land’ please.
Some bands don’t deserve the audience they get, others deserve a bigger audience than they get. The International Karate Plus fall into the latter category but to be fair even a pretty poor band would deserve a bigger audience than IK+ get. By the time they take to the stage there’s me and well I don’t care who’s behind me I’m focused on what’s going on in front. Bassist Mike Carter dons a pair of Elvis shades looking suspiciously like a young Steven Malkmus which is a fairly apt comparison considering the bands Pavement influences. They wear t-shirts sporting IK+ logos which personally I find appealing it seems to boast a confidence which is sadly lacking with so many of their peers. Opening with the catchy ‘Ghosts’, an upbeat clever pop song, which epitomises the set. They follow suit with ‘He Caresses Kayaks’ which is their strongest song in my opinion and on this occasion I do believe actually counts considering as I make up at least twenty percent of the audience. The Pavement influence is particularly evident on this song although it could probably be stretched to the whole of that American indie sound which includes Sebadoh amongst others. This seems to mix intensely well with the indie pop sound that IK+ obviously strive upon and also one that is sparsely seen or accepted in this a time of ‘the rock revolution’. Lets hope bands like these will put end to the banal noise that NME lovers everywhere seem to be unable to get enough of right now.
Review by Barry Bennett