The Xenith Sound

Live at Cockpit on Tuesday, 29th June 2004

With Leeds festival just around the corner it's that time again for the Futuresound competition. Tonight was the turn of The Black Helicopters, Ten Seconds Of Chaos and The Xenith Sound to win over the crowd and more importantly the judges with their interpretations of what passes for good music these days.

First up were The Black Helicopters who probably weren't best pleased with being on so early. Kicking off their performance with a pure wall of sound is always good in my book. But the bunch of middle aged music "experts" stood in front of me didn't seem that impressed with phrases such as "haven't they heard of a tune" being muttered between them as they guzzled down their 7th pint of Worthington's. If these middle aged rockers were the judges then I think all 3 of the bands tonight would have been royally screwed.

The strange thing about the Black Helicopters is that their show seemed to fly by. At times I found myself almost hypnotised by their huge bass lines and screaming guitars coupled with the fact that they performed like a tight musical unit. Guitars and vocals were weaving in and out of each other to create the occasional moment that was truly special.  However at other times their performance seemed an almost non event. They were there playing on the stage but myself and a few others became more focused at how the drummer could play his instrument so well yet at the same time smoke a cigarette without spilling any ash. Of course this interest was swiftly disrupted when he tried to light up another and it was ripped from between his lips and tossed aside by a some what disgruntled front man. The presence of a newly acquired keyboardist though seems to have given the band and their music an extra depth and the odd quirky sounds that were being produced only added to the songs.

This was a good solid performance by the band but I don't think it was enough for them to win on the night. This could have been due to the early start or the some what sparse crowd. Either way it lacked the atmosphere that they would need if they wanted to play at the mighty Leeds Festival.

Fate is a strange thing. Sometimes in life everything seems to just fall into place and for Ten Seconds Of Chaos (TSOC) tonight was one of those times. A brand spanking new name which is far better than their previous incarnation, a new EP which received 4 1/2 stars out of 5 when reviewed on Leeds Music Scene and of course a chance to play at a major festival.

The Black Helicopters chances of winning went straight out of the window when this trio took to the stage. The room started to fill and a whole hoard of people began to edge forward in anticipation. The atmosphere that was lacking from the previous band was ever present here and it became instantly apparent that TSOC meant business and weren't here to mess around.

TSOC have all the swagger and confidence in their musical abilities of a band that have been playing these songs all their life yet at the same time perform with an excitement and exuberance of a fresh new band untarnished by the evils of mainstream music. Whether it be the pitch perfect vocals or the complete and utter sonic whip lash inducing waveforms that these guys produce you just can't help but be impressed. At times so loud and awe inspiring that I had to grip my pint glass tightly to prevent it from being carried off in some moment of rock euphoria. You know this band are for real when you see each member throwing themselves round the stage like rag dolls completely lost in the moment. Limb flailing, sweat inducing rock with very little need for roll.

It's easy to see why the "Don't Cut Me Out" EP has been hailed as musical manna by many. The samples we hear tonight are at times loud and ferocious enough to make Lightning Bolt sit up and take notice yet there are also slow moments of musical reflection, the calm before the storm you could say. The storm was finally ended with a traditional rock band styled "let's trash our instruments" though from where I was standing it looked liked they couldn't go completely wild as they aren't in the financial position to be destroying drum kits just yet. Anyway they left The Xenith Sound with an almost impossible task of topping a faultless performance.

However what myself and many others in the venue didn't realise was that The Xenith Sound were more than capable of outdoing TSOC. So when they started to play there was the distinct sound of jaws dropping to the floor in pure amazement with what was happening on stage. Each song that was being churned out by this musical force was better then the next. Totally absorbing sounds mixed with clever effects and samples. They were able to rock with the best of them but also had the intelligence in their musical ability to make them stand out from the rest and impress anyone who happened to be watching.

Loose comparisons could be easily made to bands of a similar vein whether it be Kasabian or The Cooper Temple Clause. However neither of those bands have a bass player as strange or intriguing as The Xenith Sound. Bouncing round the stage with all the arrogance of a front man and playing his weapon of choice in a way that could have won him the Futuresound competition on his own. He also happened to get the biggest response from the crowd all night and is easily one of the most memorable characters on the Leeds Music Scene.

If this had been any other heat in the Futuresound competition that you would have been hard pressed to find a band that could perform as well as TSOC, in fact they would have walked  it but sadly for them tonight they were up against The Xenith Sound who were truly something extra special.

Though while only one band can come out on top, the real winner tonight is the music scene of Leeds. If these 3 bands are anything to go by then our great city is the only place you need to go to satisfy your musical needs.

• www.myspace.com/tensecondsofchaos

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