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Hi:Fi (South) 2006

Saturday 27th to Sunday 28th May 2006
Matterley Bowl near Winchester, Hants, England MAP
£99 (both days) or £54.50 for either day

There’s still not many in the tent, they missed another jem! The place may be pretty much empty but it doesn’t bother the Brighton nutters on stage! Boasting members from such bands as British Sea Power, Electric Soft Parade and The Tenderfoot they are high powered full speed 4x4 proper punk rock to start off. Their song about watching the band is short and to the point, suggesting the audience shut up and listen. The bearded lead singer ex-BSP’s Eamon Hamilton delivers vitriolic lyrics about the music industry and it’s terrific. While guitarist Tom White throws himself around and spasms like a true guitarist should while still pulling off on the money riffs.

They bring out a couple of guests the first being Balla Rafferton (I think) to accompany them on the Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash duet classic ‘Jackson’ which is superb hill billy music.

Another guest arrives Phil Sumner from Actress Hands to add some horn to the set. Suddenly Brakes are sounding like the Byrds or Neil Young with an anthemic bluegrass sound.

Then the band unleash ‘All Night Disco Party’ as a rocked up punk classic as opposed to its dance incarnation, revamped with a country twang and crashing guitars.

‘What’s In It For Us?’ is dedicated to the Queen with more venomous lyrics before an about face with a song which sounds like a country classic, but it’s title eludes my memory, “if I die tonight will you tell her that I love her” which shows Eamon’s vocal range and the depth of his voice. Although it could be tongue in cheek as like a tourette’s sufferer he’s all energy and off mic shouts “cease and resist!”

New track ‘Wasn’t Built to Last’ is announced by a gleeful Eamon, who tells us they are about to cut an album at The National. It’s pure hillbilly punk and Alex White’s drumming and Marc Beatty on bass turn it into a great punk hillbilly track. If the rest of the album is like this I’m getting it!

They then finish with their anthem about speed, then they finish again with a classic country feeling tune about a pony while Tom smokes a fag and looks cool on guitar.

Then they realise they’ve forgotten ‘Porcupine or Pineapple’ and so make that their last tune, before not leaving and delivering ‘Do the Spring Chicken’ finally they opt for an ending which involves Tom climbing down into the pit to deliver a chord before the band yell, “Comma, comma, comma, full stop!” a 4 second ditty and that’s it all over from a creative and entertaining band, with much to delight us at Hi Fi South.