Thursday 13th December 07 - It's A Happening at The New Adelphi By Martin Wellbourne (2/2)

(1/2), (2/2).

Next up, we were treated to some poetry; not really my field, if I'm honest, as it has always seemed to me that performance poetry is more about imposing one's own angst-ridden world-view on an audience that frankly couldn't care less. That and the settling of old and very personal scores. Shelly D - a regular scribe for these hallowed cyberpages - may have been guilty of both of these charges, but having said that, she presented her material con considerable brio, and with her opening piece, a wicked slice of character assassination, seemed to instantly gain the support of much of the crowd.

The addition of various musicians jamming behind her next pieces added to the strength of her work, and did - so far as one of my tender years can ascertain - evoke something of the freewheeling spirit that the evening was an effort to recapture. I would recommend anyone with an interest in poetry to check out Shelly's work (elsewhere on this very site), as it seems to have considerable merit. Besides; you'll probably get more from it than I would. I would further recommend, having heard her laying into someone who has evidently incurred her wrath, that you steer clear of her bad side.

The spell of the sixties was broken by the thoroughly modern music of The Cherry Cobb Cartel. This indie four-piece gave us a bravura showing, combining powerful and memorable riffs with accomplished song writing. They achieved an electrifying rapport with the audience almost instantly, and such was their wry good humour, one almost didn't mind being catapulted so unceremoniously back into the unmitigated grimness of The Adelphi, 2007.

What particularly won me over was the way in which the Cherry Cobb managed to balance diversity with congruence; while their songs contained an eclectic mix of rhythms and feels from around the world (one song in particular had a deliciously Eastern European motif), they were all unmistakably the work of the same band, and presented a very cogent and compelling argument for the case that the Indie scene still has a great deal to offer providing its exponents are willing to work at it as hard as Cherry Cobb Cartel evidently do.

Such was the warmth of the crowd towards them that it would have been a strong heart indeed that would not have quaked at the prospect of following them: if The James Dean Syndrome felt any such apprehension however, they hid it well. And, from the beginning of their set, it was clear that their insouciance was well-founded. Inspired though they doubtless are by the lost idols of an equally lost generation, the urgency and energy of James Dean Syndrome gives them a freshness and a relevance that lifts them head, shoulders, knees, and toes above the common herd of bands who wear their 'retro' tags like shackles rather than the badges of honour they can be.

Aided by some extraordinary guitar work, they merge timescapes, bringing the late 60s wailing and screaming into our current era; picture Jimi Hendrix' ghost kicking off in the middle of a Killers gig, and you're somewhere close to imagining 'The Syndrome' in full, glorious spate. Although the other acts on the bill - though doubtless with good intentions in most cases - may have wandered a little from the spirit of the evening, its presiding genii nailed it to perfection, and I for one, look forward to the return of It's A Happening sometime in the new year. Right on, man.

Comments System Prototype Version 1.0 by Mo

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