Blind Frog Ernie, Blue Sand the Applewhites and Displacements at Piper November 23rd By Michelle Dee (3/3) Photos by Darren Rogers

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3)

Photograph Gallery   Applewhites Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Blind Frog Ernie Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Blue Sand Gallery 1,   Gallery 2   Displacements Gallery 1,   Gallery 2

They finished with Second hand Trousers a song that is growing on me like a comfy sweater. Alan proceeds to take his fingers for a walk along the fret board. Another beauty that stays with you long after the last beat of the drum from Rob. I struggle to find a criticism but feel I may have hit upon one, well more of an observation really. During some of the tracks Gaz and Alan play facing each other leaving Ellie, playing bass, out in the cold. I just feel it would lend the group a more cohesion if she was to be included in these little get-togethers between the guitarists.

Just a thought, of course if this can't be done due to technical reasons; feedback and the like, I take it all back.. I can wire a plug, change a light bulb and operate my P.C. but that's as far as it goes.

Finally the moment everyone in the Piper had been waiting for Blind Frog Ernie took to the stage. With the Maidenesque vocal and the guitar sounding like Santana I was immediately taken back a few years by this rock group. The lead-singer really does have the operatic quality to his voice that set Bruce Dickinson apart from the rest. His stage antics and mike position, held between finger and thumb like smoking a fat cigar, are straight from the U.S.

He roams the performance space arms waving pogo-ing like a jackhammer on speedballs looking for god knows what. When he jumped clear of the speakers and landed on a table I knew the stage and perhaps the Piper itself just wasn't big enough to contain his energy. The band dedicated a song to Ozzy Osborne to commemorate his endeavours to apprehend the low-life who broke into his home and nicked of with Sharon's jewellery. The song was called Fightsong and was met with roars of appreciation for both the highly charged sound and the sentiment.

During this track the jumping front-man took to the dance floor and mixed it with the moshers and metallers who were head banging to the beat.

Ahh the beat, yes I must mention the drummer. Firstly I am reliably informed I hope, that they were sporting a new drummer tonight. He was thumping the skins so hard that you could have put him outside and still heard the thunderous sound that can only be described as a heavy boot kicking a barn door to smithereens. The way the drum-kit was moving, due to the pounding he was giving them, he could have been off the stage and halfway down Newland Ave pausing only to get a take out from the bar as he passed. High hats off to him.

The accomplished B.F.E. played a bit of a ballad that allowed the pulses to slow down but not for too long. Finishing the mostly hard rocking set with a blistering finale called Dead Inside. With the guitar squealing like a pig; some effects do-hickey I expect, as Rob rang its neck followed by breaks, bounces, high hats crashing and sliding bass-lines, Blind Frog Ernie came to a close. They were a resounding hit with the Piper massive.

The Piper club itself is a great place for bands to play; the acoustics are good; the bar offers a range of student reductions on drinks and obviously there's not trouble every night. Also with its close proximity to the University it gets a fairly eclectic crowd in year in year out. Tonight's crowd must have been topping a 100 but because of the spacious layout of the club it never felt crowded. Get yourself there and see new music in a venue that might be just up your street.

Now listen carefully, a few dates to counter-act those post-Christmas blues. Blue Sand are taking advantage of the transit tour as have other Hull bands and plan some dates out of area: January 25th 2005 at the Lescar in Sheffield January 26th 2005 at the New Adelphi in Hull (you've got to include the Adelphi in any tour - it is quite simply the most unique venue in the North with more history than you could shake a stick at).

January 27th 2005 at the Brundell Social Club in Leeds January 28th 2005 at the Cavern in Liverpool with the madcap Park and Ride in tow. This one is sure to be good - Park and Ride's recent gigs are driving them headlong to success. Go on support them you won't regret it. For details of this and other tours keep hitting your fave website (Us, not that dodgy porn one you found by accident). Also check out the sites below for more info on the bands featured tonight. www.DisplacementsBand.Tk www.blue-sand.co.uk www.theapplewhites.co.uk www.blindfrogernie.co.uk

Check the thisisUll.com Gallery

Photograph Gallery   Applewhites Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Blind Frog Ernie Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Blue Sand Gallery 1,   Gallery 2   Displacements Gallery 1,   Gallery 2

Photographs courtsey and Copyright © Darren Rogers 2004

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