Review from Steve over there across the waters...

Wednesday 15th July 1999

TJs, Newport, South Wales, UK

Taint/Public Disturbance/Some others….

Tonight was a sort of concept show with an odd twist.  The concept was to
bridge the gap between the Cardiff and Swansea scenes by having bands from
both cities playing a show together thus getting people from both cities
together, but the odd twist that it was held in Newport!  Well, a middle
ground I suppose.

For some strange reason Cardiff veterans Public Disturbance were on first,
though there was a healthy attendance to witness the "soundtrack to domestic
violence" that was soon to be yielded before them.
Kicking into the intro with a passion and tighness that you just knew you
wouldn't see again that night, it smoothly led into a new "Overlord" (or
something).  Deviating from their clevo old-school style, this new track had
a distinct Slayer-esque feel to it, though it's beginning did drag on a bit
and the ending was kind of boring.
The rest of the set consisted of some other new tracks from their
forthcoming MCD, a few from last years MCD and finishing off with an
Integrtiy cover (No One) and a One Life Crew cover (complete with their old
drummer Ian taking to the sticks).

After this awesome display of old/new school hardcore, the next three bands
were something of a let-down.

First after PD were a band playing some average rock with occational metal
sounding parts and mainly sang but sometimes screamed vocals.  They held my
attention, and weren't as obvious as many of the other bands playing this
style, though they were nothing near original and by the end of their set
were beginning to bore me.

Next up were a Swansea band trying to do that Korn/Bizkit thing whilst
pulling off a slight hardcore feel to the guitar sound.  Needless to say,
these guys were bad.  I think it was when the sing said the next song was
called "Oh Baby" that I walked off to find a seat.
The assembled kids seemed to enjoy them, but then that really isn't saying
much seeing as how they all either seemed to be friends of the band or Korn
kids!

After that attempt was another Swansea band, and though these guys were bad,
they was something of interest beneath the surface of it all.
Musically they were good.  I couldn't pin down what it was, but there was a
certain quality about it all that kept me listening…..until their guys
started to "sing"!
I don't know what exactly he was trying to do, at times sounding like he was
trying to rap, other times just speaking kind of angrily!  One good thing
about this band was that there were so few vocal parts that you forgot that
the vocals were so bad and stayed to watch them.  Their singer also played
guitar, which made me think that if they got a different singer in they
might stand a chance of not sucking in the future.

And finally, the reason everyone has stayed till this ungodly hour of 12:50
on a Tuesday morning - Taint, Swanseas finest.
These guys play a weird yet catchy blend of semi-stoner, Helmet style
hardcore with great lyrics.
Tonight was their bass players birthday so, needless to say, they were all
thoroughly "unsober", though this didn't affect their playing too much (a
slipped note here and there, nothing drastic).
Kicking off with the second track from last years awesome demo the crowd
(having seemingly tripled in size since the last band) get dancing.
It seemed that the drink was having something of a positive effect on James'
overall stage presence, with him throwing his guitar around wildly whilst
playing, and generally putting a hell of a lot more energy into it than
usual.
Vocally, the mic sound wasn't exactly that hot, with all his efforts being
barely audible, but that didn't matter.  There was so much energy on stage
and in the crowd that there could have been no vocals and people would have
left the venue happy.
They ran through the other two demo tracks, some newer tracks and rounded
the evening off (with the club owner telling them to get of the stage due to
the lateness of the ir running) with their Clutch cover.

It was a truly varied night of South Wales music and I think we all made
some new friends.

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