The Brook - November 2005
The Brook, in Southampton, once again reverberates to the exciting sound of raw, young talent. Southampton bands SixNationState and Alaskan Pipeline precede Lymington based band Ro Shambo for what is to be a fun and lively show. The SixNation boys kick off the gig, their fast-paced,
electronic tex mex sound mould a light hearted, dancey atmosphere. The five-piece look like dishevelled Mariachis on stage, but play their guitars and drums with the energy, skill and enthusiasm of the real thing. The pace is incredible and for the most part, they keep it up; only slowing for the reggae-esque tune 'I Hate the Summer' which lets everyone pause for breath. One of the great things about this band is that they're quirky, possessing an almost quintessentially British eccentricity, with added New World flavour. They also very obviously love what they do; their music and passion for it all is delightfully infectious and you can’t listen to them without a smile on your face. A more mellow but none-the-less enjoyable Alaskan Pipeline are up next, to calm the mood. Their delivery is always emotive and powerful, making for intense, thought provoking listening.
Alaskan Pipeline have such a haunting sound, created by top quality guitarship and drums, all accentuated by lead singer John Olden. The similarities of their sound to that of Coldplay's cannot be ignored. It is a testament as to how truly skilled this band are. Closing the bill, Ro Shambo are given a rapturous reception from their fans, many of whom have followed them from their New Forest home town. They start off well, treating us to several of their own tunes. They look every part the stylish Mods, with their Fred Perry shirts and Mighty Boosh hair styles. Ro Shambo could reasonably be compared to Franz Ferdinand - with a bit if 80s rock thrown in for good measure. Sadly, this is all the audience get to hear of their definitive sound and the rest of the set consists of covers. Don't get me wrong, these were both well performed and well received but didn’t give a true picture of the talent behind the band.
