The Rare, The Neon Mile, The Papers, Primate at Play

Liz Crosthwaite • Published 20 Jan 2012 11:30 0 Comments

A TRIP out to the gig and studio, Play, nestled in the dark recesses of Milford Road, Reading, often yields musical rewards, but last Saturday was a bit of a mixed bag.

Openers Primate are, in Club Velocity/Reading On Fire promoter Steve Siddle's words, 'a no nonsense meat'n'two veg, with gravy' band, and true, they came across as quite a sturdy, stodgy proposition, enlivened with some funky basslines and frenetic drumbeats. Although perhaps introducing a song as being about 'the futility of war' isn't to be recommended.

Next up were The Papers, a hiphop'n'rock'n'funk band with a rhythm section who lay out cool grooves that blend with the scattergun and often whip-smart raps from frontman Yoshi. Winners of Jagz in Ascot's recent battle of the bands, The Papers are a much more funked-up rap-rock blend than all that chug-a-chug nu-metal guff, and a fresh presence on a scene crammed with straight-up guitar bands. They're well able to hold a crowd's attention rapt as long as they hold off from too many lengthy, laid-back jams.

The Neon Mile, a four-piece from Bournemouth, really stole the show with their tight set of indie-pop, wheeling from sunny tunes sprinkled with keyboards, to darker, more complex tracks, with creepy tales about being dragged into cellars and sweet songs about low self-esteem. Ones to watch.

Headliners The Rare were a disappointment for a band who drew the biggest crowd of the evening - all strained vocals and cringeworthy lyrics against a back-drop of unchallenging rock and unwarranted posturing. An off-night for them? I hope so.

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This article appeared in Royal Borough Observer 20 Jan 12

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