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COLOUR OF FIRE + DEGRASSI Out of town gigs are always an experience. Tonight's venue is a tiny youth-club-type building hidden away behind about 20 roundabouts and finding it proves to be more luck than judgement. Luckily, I arrive just in time to catch support band Degrassi's opening number. Knowing absolutely nothing about them it's only after a few songs that I realise that it's ex-Idlewild man Bob Fairfoul on bass, not that they need this extra bit of kudos. Vocal harmonys and frenentic churning guitars punctuated with simple indie-rock chiming solos - I'm a sucker for anything that follows that blueprint and Degrassi do it with panache. They're fun to watch too, dynamic onstage and with between song banter that, for once, is actually amusing. I am also unprepared for Colour Of Fire. Having only heard (and been very impressed by) "A Pearl Necklace For her Majesty" earlier in the week I'm not sure what to expect. Two singers, heavy-as-hell riffing and a pounding rhythmn section, for sure. But how will the rest of the set stack up against the new single? After almost 20 years of going to gigs, I'm constantly amazed that I can still be totally and utterly blown away by new (to me) bands. Colour of Fire are very good. In fact, if you're in the market for a chaotic, screaming, punky four-piece I'd go so far as to say they're near perfect. They all look great - which is always a good place to start. They have confidence and a certain attitude that only comes with knowing you are at the beginning of something big They connect with the audience - in fact singers Owen and Stuart have the predominantly female front rows in the palm of their hands for the entire set, especially when Stuart jumps in and goes for a little wander, still playing. Their sarcastic comments and Owen's particularly camp dancing evidence of a definite sense of humour. And then there's the music... I probably started going to gigs before most of the audience here tonight could even walk, and for once I don't actually mind. It may sound patronising (I don't mean it too, honestly!), but I've seen a lot of bands over the years, and that gives me a certain perspective. For the kids here tonight Colour Of Fire definitely tick all the boxes that make a great band. But in historical terms, for me, they piss all over most of the bands of this type that I've ever seen. The interplay between the two singer / guitarists is so precise it's as if there's some weird psychic thing going on. Where Stuart has a more traditional punky vocal, Owens voice is all over the place, going from tuneful to ranting in the raise of an arched eyebrow. The bass and drums thunder along and during the songs where the arrangement is more complicated the whole band is incredibly focussed. I caught names for a few songs - "Italics" and "Second Class Citizen" I think - but for me "A Pearl Necklace..." and "The Company Won't Colour Me" were the highlights, the latter building from a simple strum and falsetto vocal to a totally incendiary finale. Awesome. I feel like I'm ranting now. This band are good. Very good. I'm going to drag as many people as I can to see them, so they better start playing bigger venues and they better do it soon... Richy [ December 6th, 2004 ] |