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SPAN/JARCREW
Metro Club, London 15th July 2003
A new venue to me, the Metro Club being an underground venue the size of
the Borderline/Underworld and a fair sized crowd in. I never knew it was
there despite walking past it each week I am up in London (right
opposite Virgin Records in Oxford Street). The crowd were mainly in their
20s (making me feel somewhat an old man!) and had come to see all three
bands on the bill. Missed most of the first band but they seemed a standard
punk/nu metal sounding band but good luck to them.
Now Jarcrew have been raved about by Planet Earth Publicity's Dave
Clarke (a top man who set-up the Rick Wakeman & Phil Mogg interviews amongst
others) and I was intrigued to say the least! Although bought up on metal
and melodic rock I am always keen to see new bands. How best to describe
Jarcrew? Well imagine the space rock keyboards of Hawkwind mixed with metal
guitars and a vocalist who sounds unlike anything you may have heard before
- Napalm Death meets Justin Hawkins of the Darkness? Very high in the
vocal range but extremely powerful delivery. He is a whirlwind of energy and
frequently went into the crowd to stir things up nicely. All this and he
handles the bizarre keyboard sounds! If you get a chance go and see this
band, I guarantee you won't have heard anything like it! Worth it just to
see the frontman's manic stage presence.
Headlining were Span who combine the heavy riffs of Queens of the Stone
Age with a healthy dose of punk attitude (but not the punk lite dross of
Busted, rather Killing Joke or the Sex Pistols). Very tight set, with a very
animated band - the drummer laid down a solid backbeat with no frills.
Didn't catch all of the set as getting back home on London's transport
system is a mare but from what I saw I was suitably impressed.
Text © 2003 Jason Ritchie
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