10-06-11: Howl on Vinyl

The Style & Winch, Maidstone.







Howl on Vinyl at The Style & Winch

It would be about 11pm when Howl on Vinyl finally took to the floor, and they were received extremely well; a refreshing successor to the earlier band. Howl on Vinyl are a three piece bluesy rock band, with a dirty edge; and a female drummer. Howl on Vinyl had a clean sound and a great energy, with Jade Wilson thrilling to watch creating a perfect photo opportunity with every beat of the drum.
There was a slight technical slip about half way through the set, which could have been disheartening, but it was dealt with quickly and with no fuss. With an almost unpredictable, but catchy vibe, Howl on Vinyl are set for great things, and though the crowd didn’t always respond, they came through in the end.
Two words to sum up Howl on Vinyl. Dedicated and exciting.

10-06-11: The David James Rumsey Band

The Style & Winch, Maidstone.




The David James Rumsey Band at The Style & Winch

A hint of femininity and soft drumbeats followed.
The David James Rumsey Band were a trio; two guys and a girl. The whole ensemble was stripped back and extremely simple, but the acoustics of the room added to the pleasure of the easy listening and the flow of the whole set. It was, however, apparent that as the set progressed the songs began to sound more and more alike. Nice at first, but quickly became tiresome. It was often hard to tell when one song had ended, and the next began.


10-06-11: The Devil's Prefects

The Style & Winch, Maidstone.






The Devil's Prefects at The Style & Winch

The first band to grace us with their presence was a country duo from Texas named, The Devil’s Prefects. “They play songs, and they like Smokey and the Bandit a whole lot”. Though many anecdotes from the duo were in their own words, not funny but informative, The Devil’s Prefects had a sense of achievement and pride when it came to light that Willy “The Fury” Ford has previously played with the likes of Dolly Parton [and notable others which appear to have been forgotten at this point].
They had every ounce of humour you could ask for from a country band, and much of this came from the lyrical content; the humorous vibe worked in their favour and they had everyone singing along regardless of whether they had been to a Devil’s Prefects show before or not. If I recall correctly they would not stop playing until they had everybody singing along, but I could be making this up. Johnny “Country” Crow also informed said crowd that only in England is the response to the song “Knock” an exceptional one, and for unknown reasons. I think I’ll let you make your own decision on this one; the chorus went something like this...
“I’m gonna knock one out for Jesus, I’m gonna knock one out for the Lord, I’m gonna knock one out for Jesus, and when I get to Heaven I’ll see how well I’ve scored.”

04-06-11: Wires Faulty

The Beacon Court, Gillingham.















Wires Faulty at The Beacon Court
It would appear that a growing confidence is slowly seeping its way into Wires Faulty; particularly within vocalist Antony Wood as he tempts the crowd to the edge of the stage, resulting in the enticement of new fans. I do however have mixed feelings towards this gig, but rest assured it was not a disappointment. The sound in itself was not immaculate, at times the bass came through more than anything else but it was not too distracting; WF played well and held their enjoyable sound and energy in their hands, it was however kept there too tightly and the performance was not as compelling as some gigs in the past have been. Having said this, the response from the crowd was recognised, and even the likes of the security guard were singing back the lyrics word for word.