Wednesday 9th August 06 - Prologue to Leeds: The Unsigned Bands Showcase at The Welly (4/4) By Joe Hakim Photos By Mo

(1/4), (2/4), (3/4), (4/4).

Photograph Gallery   The Landaus Gallery,   Ernest Gallery,   The Dirty Dreamers Gallery,   The Bonnitts Gallery,   Scaramanga Six Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Mr. Beasley Gallery,   People Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Gallery 4,   Gallery 5.

Their lead singer swans about the stage delivering her helium vocals into the mix. She is a truly captivating front-person, and it's difficult to take your eyes off her. There really is no-one else in Hull who sounds even remotely like them. They give me the same kind of chills that I got when I listened to Portishead for the first time a few years ago. They have single-handedly rekindled my faith in the Hull music scene. I love indie-rock as much as the next person, but it's dangerous to base an entire scene around it. It all gets a bit fuckin' stale and boring.

But these guys, along with bands like Ernest and Fonda 500, bring much needed diversity into the scene. They're outside of fashion in a way, so they have the real potential to make timeless, interesting music that will still be listened to years from now. And not only that, they are funky as fuck. I actually want to go out and hand over my hard-earned cash for the privilege to listen to their material.

For me personally, the true test of a band is whether they're actually something you would stick on at home, and Mr. Beasley are definitely that sort of band. Don't be surprised if these guys go supernova soon.

After Mr. Beasley leave the stage, Alan Raw informs us that the broadcast has overrun by an hour and twenty minutes. However, rather than pack up and fuck off, the entire crew stayed and continued filming, a testament to the sheer quality of music on display. I leave the gig buzzing with excitement about the imminent Leeds festival, not just for myself, but for the bands that will be representing Hull. This gig has really demonstrated the sheer breadth and range of music coming out of Hull, staking our claim as a true centre for creativity in the process. It's time to step out of the shadows cast by Leeds and Sheffield and make a name for ourselves.

Not only that, I'm also excited about the potential for the bestfrontseat.com shows. I don't know who's responsible for the funding and organisation (I'm guessing Alan Raw's a big part), but this really should become a regular gig. It's something unique to Hull and it would really put our city on the map for something worthwhile. We could be pioneers in the fledgling internet TV market, and we could make Hull a genuine force within the music industry. Anyway folks, that's me done for now. I'll see you at the Leeds festival in a couple of week's time.

www.myspace.com/ernestband www.myspace.com/dirtydreamers www.myspace.com/landausrock www.myspace.com/thebonnitts www.myspace.com/thescaramangasix www.myspace.com/larkinout (Mr. Beasley) Please link back to www.thisisUll.com on your website..ta.

Photographs courtesy and Copyright ©  Mo 2006

Photograph Gallery   The Landaus Gallery,   Ernest Gallery,   The Dirty Dreamers Gallery,   The Bonnitts Gallery,   Scaramanga Six Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Mr. Beasley Gallery,   People Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Gallery 4,   Gallery 5.

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