The Metros, The Wallbirds, The Belgrave Scandal - Forum, Tunbridge Wells - Friday 29th February 2008

Off to the Forum in Tunbridge Wells, for the latest in a fairly long line of decent bands playing there lately. Their band booker seems to be doing well at the moment, getting bands like The Courteeners, I Was A Cub Scout, Late of the Pier, and now The Metros - all in the last month or so. The Metros have been getting lots of good press recently, and are on The View's record label, so I was interested to see them.

The opening band of the evening were The Belgrave Scandal, the first time I'd seen them for a while. They played a half hour set, which was by far the best I've ever seen them play. Many of their songs had been re-arranged, invariably for the better - so that they were sounding like more rounded and polished songs. They played a new song that sounded (on first hearing) like the best song they have. And, they sounded professional and tight. They actually sounded like a "proper" band, albeit one that nobody seems to have heard of (yet). The promoter described it as bewildering that they are not signed yet, and on tonight's performance, I'd have to agree. They are getting better and better all the time, and seem to be becoming a really good band.

The main support band were called The Wallbirds, a three piece band from Doncaster. They played the second excellent set of the night, combining folk, country, and skiffle influences. They reminded me of the Rumble Strips in many respects, the singer playing an acoustic guitar, but really whipping the crowd up into a frenzy. Their set was really entertaining I thought, with quite a few good songs, and a very engaging live show. I suspect that they may be one of those bands who don't really translate to CD too well, but that can put on a consistently excellent live set.

After 2 excellent support bands, it was the turn of the Metros to headline. Hailing from Peckham, they weren't too far from home, and had a small but dedicated crowd at the front. Having heard 8-10 of their songs recorded, and playing a few fairly often on my iPod, I was looking forward to seeing them. So, the expectation may have contributed to the sense of disappointment when they actually played.

They really didn't sound all that great live - to the extent where their recorded songs actually sound better than the live experience. The singer seemed to be a bit of an arrogant tosser, and the set generally let me down somewhat. I've been disappointed by a few new bands lately (like Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, and One Night Only), and The Metros definitely join that list. The kids seemed to love it, but I just had the feeling that I'd seen it before - nothing special at all, and like a poor rip off of The Ordinary Boys (and the long line of bands that went before them). I won't be rushing back to see The Metros, but I'd definitely like to see their 2 support bands again.