Swindon Music

What a night to put such a crass line up on, but Good Friday.

Anyway, in terms of acts to kit ration - i'll never had such an easy night. 2SM are the rhythem section to WU, with The Directors sharing all their backline. Simples.

If you don't know 2SM set up, its rather gloriously simple and sounds amazing. 2 bass amps, one for low end, one for top, one side chained from another. Im not entirely sure how it makes the sound it does, but it does. Im not entirely sure how he plays like that either, its guitar chords on a bass - the man has immence fingers. Given the bill, less said about that the better.

So, other than 3 bands using all the same kit - I had "Kunt" as he introduced himself to me (Hi, im Kunt), was literally a stereo D/I in and a mic. Again simples.

Up first The Directors, 10 minutes late, as we pushed it back to get people in. They were tight, concise punk and roll'. Wasn't too memorable for me, but their performance was - viscal and high energy. He didn't wear a shirt, the lady bass player was tiny.

Up next 2SM - I had never seen them before, but what fun. Stupidly fast punk rock - reminded me of Suicidal Tendencies, I wasn't entirely sure what he was going on about in the songs, but between them he clearly had a dislike of "The Man", paying more tax on his cider (fair enough) and a parchant for saying the word Cunt. It was lovely and loud and in your face. Couldn't fault it really.

Then stepped up Wonk Unit, "im a poet, don't you know" in his saff Landan accent, or drool. Their music was punky and more melodic. A first time out for their own rhythem section, in this case a cleaner sounding 2SM. Drum tab, and the loss of a cab pretty much made up their transition from one band to another - the fact that anyone could do this without a practice is something to be applauded. I was suitably impressed.

But melodic punk songs aside - Wonk's frontman, the duo having played 200+ gigs in the past year, found a unreceptive member of the crowd take their between song schtick a little too personally, and after their set square up to them for fisty suffs. Shame, as it was otherwise a bit of fun.

The fact a lad had come from Stroud and insisted on hanging about by the sound booth said a lot for the bill. Though I was pleased to see a lot of local people come along too - that'll be the 2SM appeal then.

Kunt And The Gang - can we really call them a band? What is that? Its stand up isn't it? One guy, an iPod with "songs" or backing tracks he apparently tracked on a laptop in his bedroom, and him singing over the top?

I wouldn't call it music in the purest of sence, and a monkey could of (and did) done the sound, but he did attempt to sing at times, during his mostly spoken word delivery, and dance - pretty much like I would, given the curcumstances. His songs we crass and shock value stories of debauchery. Actually that makes it sound sexy. It was self abuse.

Not a night you would of bought the wife / girlfriend / mother-in-law / nan or infact any female of the population to. I was a little embarrised sat with the girls Darren bought with him, and I didn't even know them, I was glad they were drinking. But all told a fun, close to the mark and challenging night.

For the record, 2SM were my highlight, and I'll try and get em' in Devizes.