Kubichek! Dirty Tux & Violet Hill
Mansfield Town Mill
24/02/07
Live Review

Kubichek

On 24th February the Nottingham live Drowned In Sound team expanded their live shows to Mansfield. The pressure was always going to be on for the three bands that were to showcase their material at The Mill. Everything was set up for an eventful night and one to be remembered.

Local band Violet Hill are up first to kick off the night who are no strangers to the venue. They pick up their instruments and go straight into an instrumental intro that moulds into their first song Riot Shield. The band sound awesome and the crowed have already warmed to them (which will seem somewhat ironic later on!!) The band nail Dreamers Disease and there is a feel of Muse to these guys both musically and at times vocally. Dan Barnett produces a brilliant vocal performance that is only backed up by the rest of the bands performance and it seems that the DiS Night debut is starting off rather well. Violet Hill breeze through their set with Idiosyncratic and Exhaler, but before they finish off they announce that this is basically their fair well gig. After 10 years of fun and heartache the band have decided to call it a day. So what better way to sign out than with Out Of Time? The band slip away and that is goodbye from Violet Hill

Next up is Dirty Tux who showcased new songs in front of the Tux faithful and the rest of the crowed that came just for the night. It is always good to start with a crowd favourite, and Tux do that with Complex Sex. The band ease through this and seem in good spirits with lead singer Bish interacting and having a bit of banter with the crowed. Rory Black's Amp deciding to not work when it wanted didn't faze these guys from Ripley, not even the ever-moving mic stand could faze them. The sound didn't seem to be affected but things were surely playing up for Dirty Tux tonight. Dirty Tux finished off the night with two new songs, Martin and Columbian Marching Powder. Craig Bishop had finally had enough of his dodgy mic stand, kicked it over and just carried on using Rory and Greg's microphones. With about a minute of the song left drummer Luke found himself down to one drumstick and Bish was chucking his guitar left, right and well into the barrier. Yes the Tux had left the stage!

Last up is Kubichek! And with the release of their debut album out next month it is now their turn to showcase some new material. They kick off with a new one in typical Kubichek! Style, Just Shut It Down. This is the kind of track that explains exactly what this band is all about. Catchy lyrics, high tempo guitars and the band who are, frankly, tight as f**k. Now that the crowd are up for it, what better way to carry on with the set than the last Single Outwards, the thing about this is that if you are in the crowed then you are knackered! There is only so much jumping up and down that you can do. Not to worry though because Al and co are going to share a different side to the band with a more mellowed out song in the way of Hope Is Impossible, Wow! Kubichek! seem to not only have the songs but they can back them up when playing live and offer a different dimension to their music. Naturally they play Taxi and Stutter and there is no doubt that The Kubichek! faithful (such as Matt Gilbert) would one, appreciate it and two, go mental while it is being played! Nearing to the end of their set and so far it's been faultless. As soon as you hear the first chord, bang you know it is Nightjoy. Look out for this, it's their next single. It's one of those songs bands can wait a lifetime to write. Then it is time for the last song Hometown Strategies, and what better way to finish off especially with this being the first night for Nottingham DiS to put on a night away from their home town.

Mark Moore


Official Site - http://www.kubichek.co.uk

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