In January Coxson’s Riot, The Echoes and Stone Saloon played a gig for Kiss My Face in order to raise money Oxfam’s Haiti Earthquake fund. Below are some reviews of the bands written by Modesty Blaise:

Coxson’s Riot

Minus one guitarist Coxson’s Riot begin their lively, raucous Pop Ska to a sparse crowd; with their fresh faced and extrovert enthusiasm that has come to be expected. Despite the apparent lack of audience the boys still frolic about the stage with wild vitality. These are a set of cooler than the cats pyjamas kids that mix their big band brass sounds with deep, fringe bobbing rock riffs to make a noise that you’d have to be a reclusive silence enthusiast not to enjoy.

Their performances are often riddled with errors and although tonight these had been largely weeded out, this shambolic and naïve approach gives this band an irresistible and endearing fun quality. This is a giant clap around the ears for all those trendier-than-thou regurgitated Synth Pop acts. Something truly fresh has been born from the vast swell of copycat youngsters that have become so arse achingly hip with their electronic experimental din that it’s now dull, bring on the trumpets indeed!

Think Vampire Weekend – Cousins. It is a teeming, sporadic instrument brawl.

Bloody Murder has this loud, dictating vocal hook complete with accusatory drumming, deeper than the ocean floor guitar riff and a trumpet that sublimely squeals it’s classy caterwaul at perfectly placed presentation slots throughout; this is a sure-fire hit. The Monkey Song is, as you would expect, like a score from the jungle book that has been ruffed up in the back streets by a group of The Special’s fans. And, of course, the unforgettable start to everyone’s weekend – Saturday Night.

So if you fancy being entertained by some trendy on the eye, youthful music enthusiasts who make music that isn’t too cool to enjoy then jump on the freight train to a Coxson’s Riot gig.

The Echoes

A band I find that is frequently mentioned around the town and often found billed at shows I never actually manage to attend The Echoes have finally finished eluding my journal notes and typewriter. So after this extended period of evasion I find a band that is not so much the sly fox of intricate boundary pushing Kindness like musical regalement I hoped it would be but rather a shiny teenage Pop noise that occasionally dips it’s toes into the fiery waters of Rock; mostly to find they couldn’t take the heat. It’s all very sweet, pin – up type Rock Pop that you can forecast to be plastered over teenage girls bedroom walls and emulated in the form of check shirt and grey hoody wearing boys pissing off their parents by playing it at 80 thousand decibels in their parents houses. But, you can’t knock it for what it is, all be it commercial and repackaged form of what has been done many times before.

All elements are present and correct – crooning Americanised vocals, tic-tac drums with the occasional symbol smash and riff and vocal hooks ah-hoy and your ready for some serious fun time Paramore, Blink mixture.

Look, this is not music for the muso, or for anyone of particular musical decorum but it is fun and it is surely listenable and for those of a younger generation could be a great gateway onto bigger and better things on the Rock Pop plane.

Stone Saloon

As Stone Saloon takes the stage it is enthralling to hear, from the off, something which I would call – proper music. This is the stuff that makes you smile uncontrollably, overwhelmed with the feeling of nostalgia, true folk in its most fabulous, reinvented form. Tones of Paul Simon run through the sound, which grounds that old school feel. The drums make you shake your ankles like a one-man band and the strong vocal harmonies gently roar though you making for some of the most easily enjoyable music you will hear for a while, or have heard for that matter.

Everything about this unfussy and natural, it puts all recent musical happenings in perspective for me; sometimes you just don’t need to tamper, just let them alone and you can be left with a joyous jamboree of uncomplicated class. Well, I lie there was a slight bit of atypical behaviour (maybe not in the deep South end of the Folk spectrum but for Cheltenham, yes) with the use of a Lapslide; this filled me up with inquisitiveness.

All though this music is fabulously unfussy it does leave you slightly parched for that real heart wrenching lyricism that features so often in Folk. It’s memorable in the sense of performance and honest in feeling yet a small amount lacking in vocal integrity and that my life is hard on the highway grit.

As the set ends I am left feeling utterly happy because that’s just how Stone Saloon makes you feel, I could very easily and willingly wear out my record needles with Stone Saloon and, I have a sneaking suspicion, that you wouldn’t mind either.