24/2/2007 Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction @ the Intrepid Fox

Subject	Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction @ the Intrepid Fox
PostedDate	2/24/2007 2:04:00 PM
	They are putting bands on occasionally at the new Intrepid Fox, and tonight is the best known one so far - Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. The pub is packed and people are being turned away at the door. The band are playing in the smallish room upstairs and it's £5 to see them, although it's still free to get in the pub downstairs. Upstairs there is hardly room to move - let alone actually see the band ! It's pretty hot and the atmosphere is highly charged. When the band come on the sound is surprisingly good considering the confines of the venue - it often sounds worse at well known larger London clubs like the Mean Fiddler or the much missed Garage. The band give good value for money and play for at least an hour - obviously including their best known songs 'Prime Mover' and 'Backseat Education' in the set as well as 'Lucille' as currently featured on MySpace. At one point Zodiac  decided to 'bring the roof down' - 'the roof' actually being the black camo netting hanging from the ceiling - not in actual fact a particularly rebelious or devasting act, but I guess it will sound good when they talk about in the future... It didn't seem that smart an idea at first, as it was difficult enough to see the band before the view was further obstructed by camouflage netting hanging down in front of everyone. Fortunately, it was fairly quickly pulled towards the back of the room and tucked away. Not surprisingly the crowd demmand an encore - and are rewarded with a damn fine version of Thin Lizzy's 'The Rocker' - complete with guitarist Cobalt Stargazer taking the show into the crowd and somehow managing to get back to the pool table area while performing a lengthy solo. It's a good evening's entertainment in this rather intimate venue and makes a change from the other local music venues, even though it is a bit hot and overcrowded on this occasion.