Back in the basement of life once more. Colin James Murphy, The Parting and Kiss Mars are playing in Pivo Pivo for a potential single release on the Oanadid label. Nothing like a bit of competition to get the blood flowing.
Although he was up against two full bands tonight, Colin James Murphy showed no fear as he took to the stage. With only an acoustic guitar to keep him company, he showed the poise and confidence that suggested that fronting a rock band would work out just fine for him. He has certainly got the songs that would fit in with that plan as well.
Kiss Mars - now there's a name that guarantees radio airplay - turned out to be solid rock/pop band highlighting old fashioned values like being in tune and in time with each other. Their songs ran pretty much straight down the middle of the road but there was much to enjoy in the energy of their performance. Hardly trendy therefore, but a band who works that hard deserves to get a break.
The Parting were the band the crowd had come to see tonight. That was easy to spot as the audience moved from their seats to the front of the stage to better enjoy the band's indie rock meets grunge songs. Quite interesting songs, too, that made the band sound, at times, like grandchildren of some long lost seventies rock behemoth. Add guitar riffs so heavy that they would capsize a boat and you can easily work out where this band is coming from.
There's no barfly on duty tonight so I do the decent thing and park myself at the bar. One for the road, as they say. She looks at me strangely. One of those strange looks that make a gentleman check that his fly is not undone. It turned out that she just had an eye infection but you can never be too careful.