7/4/2006 McQueen @ The Garage

Subject	McQueen @ The Garage
PostedDate	4/7/2006 6:19:00 AM
	Went to see McQueen at The Garage. I arrived in time to catch new indie band Air Traffic. They aren't normally the type of act I'd go and see, but it's often good to discover new bands by accident on the same bill as the main band I've gone to see. In fact, I think the first time I saw McQueen it was also at The Garage when I went mainly to see one of the bands who were supporting them. I was aware of McQueen before then though as I'd heard them on the Xfm Rock Show and liked what I'd heard. Air Traffic turned out to be very good. They reminded me of Mohair - a top quality indie band who also know how to ROCK when the mood takes them. Unusually, the band feature a singer/keyboard player - seated midstage. This reminded me of Keane - but this lot aren't tedious and miserable sounding and rock a lot harder than Keane - who didn't even have a guitar player when I saw them at the Dublin Castle. Air Traffic are a class act and certainly a band to watch out for. Headliners McQueen seemed on good form. The girls seemed to get an excellent sound tonight - nice loud hard sounding guitar!  I couldn't help comparing them with the Suffrajets who I also saw again recently. I think Suffrajets may have some better songs at the moment, but McQueen certainly come across as a harder and tighter sounding live band. They also have a very good frontwoman in Leah Duors - she manages to look great without being all 'girlie' and appears very much in command of exactly what she is doing on the stage. It's a couple of years since I've seen McQueen - I'll have to try and see them again sooner next time. It was nice to meet In So Far at the gig - it's been too long since I've seen them play live. It was good to hear they will be touring with B*Movie Heroes soon.