3/7/2022 Pump It Up! Powerpop weekender @ The Lexington

Due due a date clash over the whole weekend between two events I wanted to attend (see previous post) I am having to split my time between both events. Consequently I couldn't make it to yesterday's 'Pump It Up!' and missed The Speedways who I particularly wanted to see - although on past form I'm sure all the other bands were good too. I went to the last of these events before lockdown - this is the UK's only powerpop festival and the quality of the bands is really great!

Unfortunately I miss the first couple of bands on the bill today, but make sure I arrive in time to see Slyder Smith & The Oblivion Kids.

This is the new band from Slyder the lead guitarist and sometimes singer in Last Great Dreamers. This show is touted as being the first ever by this band, but that's not strictly true as one of the first gigs I went to after lockdown ended was this exact same lineup playing at The Black Heart as 'Last Great Dreamers'. This was while LGD singer Marc Valentine was having to take some time out from the band for health reasons - so Slyder took over vocal duties briefly - and did a very creditable job. Although they played mainly LGD songs and it was effectively LGD without Marc the band took on a less 'pop' and harder heavier edge.

Marc has since returned to Last Great Dreamers and the band have toured again. Since then, Marc and Slyder have both announced solo projects. LGD haven't split up, but both guys are taking time out from the band to concentrate on doing their own thing for a while - with both of them having album's and tours coming up.

As might be expected by anyone who saw the Slyder fronted version of LGD a year or so ago his 'new' band (virtually LGD without Marc) is a harder heavier more gritty proposition. This is effectively a completely different band - even though they share nearly all the same members. The 'pop' sheen is now gone and we are faced with a full on ROCK band - and a very good one too. Slyder's twist on things is more 'in-your-face', but without being punk or heavy metal - just full-on hard rock. The tunes and melodies are still there, but with a harder edge. There are one or two surprises along the way though; As you might expect, there were one or two Last Great Dreamers songs in the set - the band are named after a LGD song after all, but I don't think anyone was expecting a Hanoi Rocks cover! 😮 It probably went over the heads of many in the room, but 'Malibu Beach Nightmare' went down an absolute storm with a certain section of the crowd!

Next up was a band I knew nothing about. Smalltown Tigers are 3 girls from Italy playing tuneful pop punk, and they are a lot of fun!

They look and sound great while playing with massive enthusiasm and an obvious love for the music they are playing - and their enthusiasm is infectious!

They just seemed to get better and better as they played through their set - culminating in a song that reminded me strongly of the Ramones but wasn't a cover - followed by launching into an actual cover of Motörhead's 'R.A.M.O.N.E.S' - by which point I was totally in love with them! I had a chat with them later and found that they are very nice girls, and also that they are supporting on The Damned original lineup reunion tour later this year!

After the Oblivion Kids, the other band on the bill that I particularly wanted to see was Duncan Reid and the Big Heads.

This is a band that never disappoints, and this show was no exception. Duncan learned a thing or two about songwriting during his time playing in The Boys. He has been putting this to very good use since he formed this band and they have now released four albums of catchy pop/punk tunes - with another one on the way.

As well as being very prolific, this is also a very good live band - there is always plenty happening on stage.

In the live situation the songs sound less pop and more punk compared to the albums - which is fine with me.

The energy level remains high throughout the show.

Guitarist Nick Hughes also has his own band The Middlenight Men who have been creating a bit of a stir, while the human dynamo that is guitarist Sophie K. Powers also has another band on the side.

Not content with blasting out their own top quality tunes, the band also pay tribute to Duncan's punk roots in The Boys by finishing with the ever popular 'Soda Pressing' and 'First Time', although not playing 'Sick On You' (actually a Hollywoods Brats song covered on the first Boys album) as they often do.

Finishing off this weekend's mini-festival was Baby Shakes - all the way from New York. This is another band who were new to me, but as usual the boys from Some Weird Sin have booked yet another really top quality band!

Less punk and more straightforward rock 'n' roll these girls and boy are really great - catchy tuneful songs very tightly played.

Towards the end of their set two 'special guests' who I didn't actually recognise joined the band and they launched into a cover of the Undertones classic 'Teenage Kicks' - then I found out the 'special guests' were actually two members of the Undertones! That made this show pretty special.

Once again the Some Weird Sin guys have pulled something special out of the bag this weekend for their Powerpop Weekender - all the bands I saw today are well worth seeing again.