A new branch for the 360 Club tonight, as the four act unsigned bill is moved over to the Library for a Friday band session, and I was intrigued to see how this would work out.First up are 3 piece Daljit Dhaliwal, who enjoyed previous success at 360 and have seemingly brought in a sizeable fan base with them. Subtle, refined and intricate they demand careful attention from the crowd, the intimacy of the upstairs library space really playing to their advantage. A well rehearsed set obviously, but Daljit Dhaliwal come across more unchained and free flowing in their songs. The unearthly, percussive sounds make for interesting listening, particularly as there's no pre-empting where they go next. At the moments when the set reaches peak intensity all three members are clearly immersed in their playing, but mesh as an eerie and aloof noise. Perhaps one of the few unsigned acts in Leeds that can truly hold their heads up as original and creative.
Another set of familiar faces as The Talk have visited 360 before. Looking more self assured since their last outing, the four piece have a good time on stage. Or off it, as the case may be with their excitable bass player who roams out in front, holding down his parts remarkably well for his bouncy performance. More of their poppy guitar music is dished out tonight. It's straight up, modest and unabashed. Perhaps they haven't got the songs the other bands do tonight, but they're unperturbed and having fun with it.
Third up the bill is Bearfoot Beware. Their high octane, angular pop-punk is tight and throws about some interesting hooks, yelps and clangs. Dare I say a touch of Foals? More pop fun and less stylised though. Their front man is a real showman and his exuberance carries the set off in spectacular fashion, the punchy songs allowing for some real awkward contortions behind the mike. The guitarist complains of technical trouble, but we're all to caught up in the motion sickness to register it. Sure, the jaunty flavour of the moment sound may grate on some people, but these really are a good band to watch. Ten out of ten for effort.
The lowering of the projector screen behind the stage cues the entrance of Ghosts in the Nightclub who are in charge of closing the night. Ditching the drummer in favour of some suitably mechanized drum machine tracks, their throbbing post-punk pop looks great in front of laptop visuals and the red stage curtain of the library. Another interesting front man, this time in the shape of a wide-eyed, unhinged and sweaty incarnation of Carl Barat who roams the stage bare foot. The songs are slow burning, brooding numbers which incorporate that real spirit of Northern gravity. Reminiscent of that sparse, 80s electronic pop sound but with enough guitars to keep it lively. Undoubtedly a lot of thought has gone into their image. Cherry picking some of the best elements of British pop culture might mean they aren't the great innovators of tonight, but they stand out as a professional
