A SHOW OF STRENGTH FROM THE BRIGADE BOYS

Posted on 27th Jul 06 by Contributor | 0

Artist: BRIGADE" IN CASE OF FIRE" EGO
Author: Scott Edgar

THE LIMELIGHT" BELFAST
THURSDAY 27TH JULY 2006

There has been a lot of hype brewing on the internet surrounding this gig" with message forums and Myspace buzzing with the anticipation of great things from local guys Ego and In Case Of Fire as well as the first Northern Irish performance by Will Simpson's Brigade. The hundreds of internet message posts are sadly not reflected by the small gathering of curious rock fans who have arrived at the venue in time to check out the first band.

Ego are a standard four piece rock outfit" clad in tight fitting shirts and low slung jeans. Their songs are a little predictable but still worthy of gracing The Limelight stage. Citing influences such as Incubus and Muse on their often mentioned www.myspace.com/egorock site I was expecting something more interesting and dynamic rather than just rock by numbers.

It's not all bad though. In fact to use the word bad is a little harsh. The rhythm section keep it tight with Pete McCauley's drumming providing a sturdy" loud beat that ensures you hear these guys coming before you see them. The dual guitar sound works well and the riffing is almost slick enough to distract from the customary posing of the guitarists who seem more than happy to play up to the few people who have made it down to the front of the stage. Unfortunately the distinctly average Limelight sound system does this band no favours as the vocals come across muffled and distorted at times.

It's a short but powerful set" ending with perhaps the band's best song of the night. An intro of percussive guitars overlaid with some good harmonies before wailing feedback and thundering drums haul us back into a rocking chorus. There's a little ripple of applause as the four boys leave the stage and with a crowd so small that's all they could really have hoped for.

In Case Of Fire seem to be Belfast's ubiquitous band of the moment. Their name is appearing on more and more gig posters and flyers throughout the city. The reason for this is clear. These guys have worked hard" perfected their sound as much as their image and have built up a steady fan base throughout Northern Ireland and further afield.

There's a lot of noise emitting from the stage considering there are only three guys up there. Steven Robinson fronts the trio flitting from melodic vocals to riotous screams with no letting up while backing it all up with a wall of guitar noise. Colin Robinson pounds relentlessly on the drumkit building on the barrage of sound but never missing a beat and nailing time changes mid song as if it was the most natural progression of a song in the world. The big bass sound is provided by Mark Williamson" the band's youngest member" lacking in years of experience but not short of the talent required to complete the ICOF team.

Tonight's setlist looks much like it did last week when the band played the Two Step club night in the same venue but there are plenty of subtle changes to keep the listener enthralled. The band stride out on stage in their now customary black and white uniform to a backing track of loops" weird noise and trippy beats. This gives way into the first song and it's a trick repeated several times during the night. Only the newer songs lack these intricate intros but the new material stands out as being another step forward for this already highly lauded outfit.

One look at Brigade's frontman and one listen to his voice as he introduces his band and it's more than obvious he is the older sibling of Fightstar and former Busted vocalist Charlie Simspson. I'm willing to not hold that against him though and after only a few songs I'm glad I left my prejudices at the door.

It's too easy to compare this band to Fightstar and perhaps unjustified. They aren't as heavy or dare I use the 'emo' word and have a much more well rounded sound. Perhaps a comparison to Muse would be more apt as the vocals have a lot more in the way of melody than many of their other Kerrang contemporaries.

There has been a steady increase in the levels of talent and professionalism from the bands tonight. Brigade continue that trend" looking for all the world like they should be gracing the cover of some trendy music magazine rather than the dirty Limelight stage. They have a lot of substance though. It's not all just black shirts and straightened hair. The music speaks for itself which is just as well as Will's English Hugh"Grant"esque mumblings from the stage make little or no sense to anyone.

There's certainly an atmosphere in the venue as the power packed and crowd pleasing set draws to an end" the headbanging guys and young trendy girls all have smiles on their faces. Members of all three bands are mingling throughout the venue" chatting to fans" flogging all sorts of merchandise and waiting for the ringing in the ears to disappear.

Who would have thought "emo" could be so much fun""