pissed up togetherness in the air tonight. Maybe it's that The Rocks are starting to get some serious attention from the music press, or that they've become almost inseperable 'sister bands' with Special Needs, playing countless gigs together (there's another on 18th July, supporting Razorlight in Hammersmith), or maybe it's the beer for a quid offer at the bar; but whatever, there's a triumphant feeling around tonight: Once THE MAC'S CIRCUS SIDESHOW have given us an intersting set of covers (Guns 'n' Roses + Lionel Ritchie anyone?) in an alt. country style, and we get into the real action, there's no denying that there's a special energy about both these bands.

First up, SPECIAL NEEDS ply us with their frenetic take on the best that British music has to offer, cotton picking the best bits from The Beatles, The Clash & The Jam, before throwing it all together with their own ragged whirlwind charm to forge future classics like 'Sorrow City', or imbue the deceptively straightforward stomp of 'Sylvia' with a sprinkling of high street romance. And all the while, singer Zac preens & gesticulates from behind his oversized sunglasses, outdoing even the pissed up old bloke currently shakinghis groove thang at the front, in the showmanship stakes. He looks very much the garage Jarvis Cocker, while being given a leg up one of the Paradise Bar's many poles by Rick Twinstar.

Having been showered with rattling, melodic punk and sewing magazines by the 'Needs, it was time for THE ROCKS to show us what they could do, and incredibly, they managed to turn it up a further notch, shaking the Paradise Bar to its foundations with a raucous tear through 'Everybody In the Place', James stumbling through the crowd, roaring the lyrics with larynx shredding intensity, before taking the pace down for a beautiful (if somewhat off-key) drunken singalong of 'I Won't Need You When You're Dead' with the entire front row. It's a moment that will last long in the memory.

Having been pounded into exhaustion by an explosive rendition of 'Sicko' and 'The Bomb's frenetic punk/funk rampage (the pissed up old guy now having collapsed in a heap on the band's equipment), they have one more treat in store for us, returning to the stage with Special Needs for a bit of supergroup action, as the tentatively titled THE SPOCKS (serving up all of your Rocks Needs).

They give us a couple of ramshackle cover versions, Zac & James reading the lryics as they went along, including a version of T.A.T.U.'s 'All the Things She Said' that veered dangerously close to complete collapse, but just keeping the right side of complete chaos. It's another wonderful moment.

Make sure you check the bands out at Hammersmith (details on Buzz), you'll be hearing a lot more of these two.

For more on The Rocks, visit www.therocks.org.uk

For Special Needs - www.specialneedsweb.com

Or take a look at Joy's Special Needs Page

All photos taken by me. If you would like to use them, contact me at kaytronikaweb@hotmail.com