The Trend

Mr Smiths - October 2005

by Sam Goodman

The stage at Smiths, bedecked with an array of guitars and a hefty looking keyboard, was even more packed than usual for London-based five-piece The Trend. Slotting themselves into their allotted two foot of stage space each, the band looked ever so slightly uncomfortable and, as a result, wasted no time getting on with the show. Solid rhythm filled out by a flourishing keyboard melody and held down by a sinewy bass-line quickly got my attention - but seemingly did little for the crowd. For their first two songs there was the distinct feeling of ‘production’ about The Trend; they were polished but in a way that suggested if you saw them on a Sunday/Monday/Thursday/Anyday they would play, move and feel exactly the same. I found myself aching for a bit of spontaneity. A spark. Something to set their live show apart from their demo and actually make me want to go out and see them rather than listen to their cd in the comfort of my own home. To their credit the third song, ‘Running from Heaven’, picked things up in a big way - as did the keyboard-led ballad ‘Tell me’ with its built-for-radio chorus that only really outstayed its welcome after the fourth repetition. Singer Dan mentioned that these were from their demo... and it showed: the band attacked them with far more confidence and aplomb. Shapes were thrown and the audience moved forward – always a good sign. The final song, ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’, was by far their finest moment. A heavier song that seemed to utilise all the band member's instruments and closed the gig with style. At this point The Trend looked and sounded like themselves, rather than the ‘Parachutes’ era Coldplay they evoked at the beginning of the night. More of this please! Overall there’s a lot of promise here and they made a good impression on the usually-jaded Bournemouth crowd. They just shouldn't be afraid to stamp on the distortion pedal a bit more often.