Park and Ride, Blue Sand and David Devant and his Spirit Wife, SweetNSour 7th Oct The Welly By Michelle Dee

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Photograph Gallery   Park and Ride Gallery 1   Gallery 2   Blue Sand Gallery 1   Gallery 2   David Devant Gallery 1   Gallery 2   Gallery 3

Arriving at 9pm the Welly looked bleak and unpromising. A few people stood between the cold metal railings used to slow down the club-goers in their desire to get inside. Mo, my photographer for the night, and I dutifully joined what was the makings of a queue. With a rail on either side we were not unlike lambs or pigs waiting to go to market. I watched a youngish guy sidle straight past the rails and walk in bearing some tasty morsels of the take away variety. Strangely he didn't re-appear..

On entrance we were quizzed on who we were yet again it seems if your name is not Hannah Haughton or DJ Priya then you don't get on guest lists. After asking us whether we had some kind of all redeeming drink voucher, which we didn't, we gained access to the inner sanctity of the club. Having purchased our drinks, preferred drink of choice that night being two pints of Worthingtons, which incidentally came to almost a whole deep-sea diver. (Five pounds, or a bluey if you are from East Hull)

Park and Ride took to the stage and launched into their first song. Mo immediately pointed me towards the Peter Frampton guitar sound: I regret to say I am not familiar with Frampton or his guitar style but it always looks good when you mention other musicians when reviewing; it shows off your musical knowledge or in this case lack of.. They are a good looking bunch, quite lively, as they go about the almost impossible task of removing the layer upon layer of apathy prevalent in tonight's assembled gig goers.

Park and Ride are a local five piece band with a sound somewhere between Electric Six and the piano sounds of The Coral with lyrical inspiration from Inspiral Carpets. In their current line up, the laddish quintet has been gigging since January. Not wanting to be yet another The somethings band they sought inspiration from their local surroundings finally landing upon Park and Ride which can be clearly seen on signposts all over the town advertising the bus service to discourage traffic from coming into the city; free publicity, backed by the council, Genius.

They currently have an album on sale which is quirkily called Four Silverspoons and a Hob Nob; more marketing acumen, or just a desire to see the humbly crumbly biscuit's status in the snacks and confectionary world lifted. It is in fact a lyric from the I am the butt banger song: in this world of political correctness I feel I must point out this is a firmly tongue in cheek, good humoured tale about a young man with a penchant for leather and a concerned mother. The band performed this with a shade of Pythonesque style: gusto abound and booming out the choruses with a hey nonny and a whatcha Johnny. I felt like I was riding a horse, through forests, on my way to a medieval hoe-down.

Among the fairground blues of Blackpool the lead-singer plays a rather swirly sounding harmonica which just adds to the diversity and originality coming from P and R. The band did try to connect with the crowd sadly there were no takers. Park and Ride aired their new song Don't yer stress which began with a marching beat accompanied by a pseudo Americana vocal. With a time signature that refused to stay constant and the stateside affectation; which was out of place with the rest of their set, this song failed to engage.

Freddie the drummer was tucked away in the corner; it seems the Devant drummer does not have the caring sharing attitude of the local bands where instrument and equipment borrowing is commonplace. The band remarked on the difference that this made to their performance and how it just felt strange. Indeed I must confess due to this odd arrangement I didn't realise they had a drummer to start with and thought they were relying on a drum machine or some kind of backing track. But quite frankly the whole band could have whistled Dixie, whilst balancing on their heads naked, save for a Hull city scarf and you wouldn't get a flicker of enthusiasm from this crowd. Park and Ride have gigged at the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool where I am reliably informed they went down well. They also have plans to traverse to London and gig, but with the recent traffic calming measures their name mightn't prove as popular with the big city folk.

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Photograph Gallery   Park and Ride Gallery 1   Gallery 2   Blue Sand Gallery 1   Gallery 2   David Devant Gallery 1   Gallery 2   Gallery 3

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