No-Nonsense Nigel's Smash It Up - The Adelphi, Wednesday 3rd March 2004 By Elsie Creek

Dark, dingy and loud; what better way to spend a midweek evening than at Smash It Up, Nigel Holmes' live punk night. Having not been to a punk gig for a couple of years, I was quite excited about this evening. I've only just started getting into the Adelphi and, although I maintain that it's a total dive, it proved the perfect setting for the sweaty crowd which gathered there on Wednesday. We arrived fashionably late, towards the end of an excellent first set by a band I learned afterwards were called Effervescent - though no relation to the similarly named chart-toppers. Confusingly, they hadn't been listed on the billing, but were replacing The Black Flame Dispute, who had cancelled at short notice.

Good news for us - I was disappointed to have missed the start, though really I think they should have been on later in the evening, when the crowd had warmed up a bit.

Effervescent deserved a better reception than they received, having come all the way from the Midlands to support Tiny Elvis on some of their tour dates. The songs were catchy and accessible, in the vein of the best Punk-O-Rama compilations, and the musicians stayed together a lot better than most punk bands manage live. They did a cool cover of Elvis' I Can't Help Falling in Love with You, and it is a measure of the band that as the first act they had a lot of punters on their feet.

We weren't the last to arrive by far. If Effervescent had been playing to a full house with a few beers down them, they would have gone down a storm, but alas it was not to be. They've got a lot going for them: good sound, attractive band members and plenty of gratuitous gibberish on the vocals. I'll certainly try to see them again, hopefully somewhere that will do them justice.

The running order was totally inappropriate, because the next band up should quite obviously have been headlining. The Supatones are without doubt the best ska act I've ever seen. With six band members packing the stage, and instruments such as saxophone, trumpet, trombone and keyboard, they were nevertheless as tight as a Tory's arse in Fuel on a Friday night. Better even than Less Than Jake (who were advertised on the oh-so-cute-and-crazy bassist's T-shirt), they should be massive.

I was particularly impressed by their female saxophonist-cum-lead singer. With huge eyes, fluttering lashes and diva-like movements, she perfects the Supatones’ image and sound.

I loved every song, though especially their bizarre rendition of The Can-Can. The audience did too, because they were pogoing and skanking fit to cause a coronary. I have to wonder how Hull could have spawned this talent - ska isn't a genre that I associate with this place.

It's sad that while local bands remain here they just don't get the recognition they warrant. I've seen a lot of posters around for their gigs, though strangely I've never been to one before. Still, now I've encountered their brilliance I'm hungry for more, so watch this space for more rave reviews.

The third band was a total disappointment, not only because the The Supatones are such a hard act to follow. Tiny Elvis, for all their promotional material, are a mediocre and less-than-melodic punk band from Bath.

Noisy, and not particularly talented, they left me cold and unimpressed. It didn't stop me from taking a free badge though - it was the best thing about them!

Uncle Brian were headlining, and though I still feel they unfairly took the Supatones’ rightful spot, I'll confess they weren't bad. The style was mainly pop punk, reminiscent of Good Charlotte and Bowling For Soup. Although they were touted as ska punk, very little ska made it into the set. The high point of this three-man outfit has to be the drummer, who not only provided an energetic and varied percussive backing, but also accompanied on vocals.

It came as little surprise to hear that he's the sole remaining member of the original line-up. They were enjoyable, if not hugely memorable. The last few songs even had me skanking and joining the small conga line which formed, although that may have had more to do with the alcohol I'd consumed by that stage. I'd see them again, but only if it was particularly convenient - Uncle Brian, while OK, are hardly exceptional.

Overall, it was a good night despite my gripes, and I didn't begrudge them the fiver entry. In future, though, they really ought to put a bit more thought into the billing order. Then perhaps there will be more appreciation of the good stuff, and more people dancing. As it was, the bands were not used to best advantage. Nevertheless, I'll be going to these nights again; I really enjoyed myself.

I haven't changed my opinion of the Adelphi though - it's still a dive! Links: Supatones’ Website www.supatones.tk

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