Die for, Silence in the Streets, Mourning Wood Adelphi 23rd December By Marcus Lewis

I, like many others, began the night with disappointment at the news that The Freaks Union were unavailable to play, after being on the bill. However, it was two days before Christmas and I was determined to have my drinks and enjoy some live talent. I understood the bulk of the bands were of the punk/hardcore genre, but had heard that Silence in the Streets were different. As a fan of punk I was eager to see the three punk/hardcore bands but equally interested in whether Silence in the Streets fit the hype.

The first band to play, Die-for appeared to carry a fan base with them that were willing to get off their seats and encourage the band with some rocking out on the floor. Technically, the drummer and bassist were possibly the skilled members of the band. Personally, I didn't take to the lead guitarist's style, or the lead singer's approach to singing. However, the word is they are a new band on the scene, derived from The Dropouts Theorem, and with an applied guitar style, added edge and a more engaging performance from the front-man, they could be a band to watch out for!

Silence in the Streets left me in a state of awe, mainly because I never imagined the Hull music scene to produce such diversity, not only in the music, but in the band members themselves. It was obvious the members had completely different styles and origins as each different member dressed to fit completely different genres. This is evident in their music, with elements of Rage against the Machine, Radiohead, the Mars Volta and Led Zeppelin being thrown into a cauldron with surprising success and efficiency. However, it must be said that this could prove a disadvantage for the band in the future as there wasn't a defined style or sound. A previous review of the band focussed on the skills of the front man and I have to agree. Not only do Silence in the Streets have what it takes musically, but they have a secret weapon in the lead singer.

His presence demands 100% focus and attention from the audience. His passion is evident not only in his performance, but in the bands political lyrics, with the second song Sure Enough questioning our society and government, fronting the repeated mantra of "Who's the dictator now?"

If the band continues playing gigs I am sure they will build on their already evident following. A piece of constructive criticism: I believe sometimes the lead guitarist lost the attention of the crowd by ripping into 2-3 minute guitar solos. Without a doubt he was more than capable to perform the solos, but the edge of the music was lost temporarily. Stick to the catchy riffs guys! Overall, watch this space Hull music scene, here is a band breaking the mould! continued below

Die for, Silence in the Streets, Mourning Wood Adelphi 23rd December continued By Marcus Lewis

Mourning Wood were my second favourite band of the evening (first being Silence in the Streets) and I urge the guys to get back together. Apparently they broke up after the gig which upset me since that was the first time I'd seen them after hearing a lot about them. Again, the strength of the band lay in the front-man who had a powerful voice/scream, but also engaged the crowd magically. His Santa costume to start the set amused the crowd and set the viewers in a mind-frame to watch the hardcore punk band. I loved the songs simply because they had a "get up and kick your feet" factor. However I felt many of the songs could have been given the same title since diversity and variation in the music went begging at points. On behalf of the punk following world, get back together guys and write some more material, because you're talented musicians!

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