23/2/2011 Black Spiders @ The Garage

Subject	Black Spiders @ The Garage
PostedDate	3/5/2011
	This is the first time I've seen Black Spiders play a headline show of their own. I'm not too bothered about seeing Viking Skull supporting so I head to the pub over the road from the venue first. The Garage used to be one of my favourite venues to visit, but since it's refurb it's too 'nice' inside and not really a 'rock n roll' venue like it used to be - the once not too outrageous bar prices have also risen greatly - helping to make it a venue I don't really want to spend any more time inside than I need to.  Like at the recent Europe gig I decide to Boycott the venue bar - I'm not paying over £4 for a pint of something that isn't even nice.  Needless to say, the beer in the pub is much cheaper - but all their ales are on the weak side and I don't enjoy the atmosphere in there much as they are showing football on all the TV's.  I decide to try the 'Spoons pub round the corner for my next drink. I'm not normally that keen on Witheredprunes chain pubs, but the beer in there is a pound a pint cheaper than the other pub, and it's nicer too although not great. I happen to bump into a couple of friends there who are also going to the Black Spiders show, so it's a more pleasant place to pass the time than in the other pub or the venue itself. By the time I get into The Garage I've already had 3 pints which I would previously have bought in the venue - if only they served something I actually enjoy drinking and at a reasonable price.  Oh yes, I actually went out to see a band. Black Spiders are pretty good tonight - as they have been every time I've seen them. The sound seems better in The Garage these days - possibly the only real improvement the refurb has brought? I used to love Groop Dogdrill - Black Spiders frontman Pete Spibey's old band.  I'm actually wearing one of my Groop Dogdrill T-shirts tonight, but no one seems to notice.  I saw that band at least twice at this venue, and they were bloody good! Of the various Groop Dogdrill offshoot bands, this is the only one I've actually liked, although it's probably the least original sounding and furthest away in sound and style. That said, the other Groop Dogrill offshoots seemed to crash and burn quite quickly, while this one is making some definite headway with radio play festival appearances, and some good support slots. The heavy stoner groove sound might be very American and derivative in style, but this is definitely a good band. If you like your riffing nice and heavy, with some catchy hooks and big singalong choruses then Black Spiders are certainly worth checking out - I'd have bought their album if I saw any on the merch stall.