Gig review of Death Defying Life + Decoration + Blindeye

After an unfortunate false start, Blindeye showcase a set of fairly run-of-the-mill grunge-style rock songs, including a couple of vaguely interesting dabbles with effects pedals and not much else. The supposedly raw, tortured vocals and occasional flurry of long blonde hair whizzing about during a drum break are, at best, re-enactments of well-trodden ground. All too often, the initially promising riffs turn stale and become lost in a bland dirge. At one point, the bass player's face perks up, as, lo and behold, he has more than two notes to play within an entire ten minutes - but he will probably still end up with Repetitive Strain Injury and it really won't have been worth the trouble. However, full credit goes to the Haribo sticker adorning the frontman's guitar, although this may provide an indication of how old you have to be to think that this unremarkable teenage-torment-by-numbers is anything like good.

Decoration, on the other hand, are fantastic, whilst evidently disappointed by the unresponsive, half-missing crowd. Opening with the buzzing blitz of 'Intercom', the vocals are energetic, venomous and dripping with a distinctive accent which adds character to every delivery. The pummelling drums and seething guitars should have made an impression upon the Cockpit faithful, but we are unable to encounter any bodily movement beyond a meek tapping of the foot. Come on people, 'tis a Saturday night! Ah well...

Served up next by the delightful Decoration is another cut from The Thomas Pink Session EP, 'Joy Adamson', in which the magnificent guitars are lost, sadly, in the mix. 'Job In London' soon puts this to rights. It's fast, driving, and also manages to coincide with the moment when my observant companion notices that the singer's T-shirt has a pocket sewn on to the back of it to serve as a beer-bottle holder, which really is rather innovative and keeps us enthralled by its genius for the duration of the journey home. Anyhow...

Decoration are compelling, dynamic, vibrant, and hopefully on the verge of something great. More recent songs 'Pine' and 'Pavey Ark' are near-perfect evocations of the surreal (the lyrics 'Who knows, who knows, I might never have found you, touching your toes, in the alpine section of the garden centre, where anything grows...' deserve to become anthemic - if not for the beautiful, uplifting melody then for the sheer existence of those words in that order). 'Pine' then dissolves into irridescent strums and leaves a good number of punters smiling broadly. 'Pavey Ark' is even better, a lone, desolate introduction building towards a reverberating, echoing atmosphere in which the frontman displays his masterful command of a show, leaning his head back and singing for all his worth, completely trampling all over the few dodgy out-of-tune blunders made earlier with a powerful and soaring "Cause we are not endangered...". Finally, 'Every Dog Has Its Day' rampantly rounds off a set which should have earned Decoration a place amongst the hearts of Leeds but probably didn't quite make it. Come back soon, lads, and I'll bring a horde of people with me to fill up that space down the front.

That space down the front does fill up considerably for final band Death Defying Life whose inane, between-song ramblings do little to endear them to someone whose attention is now torn between a bunch of tattooed, shouting 'punks' and the pretty 'Shark: Energy Drink' signs behind the bar. The latter proves to be both the most inviting and refreshing option, and although these York boys seem to have acquired a small battalion of pierced, adoring fans, they look to be floundering about onstage in an indecisive kerfuffle with laughable results. Top marks for energy and guts, nil points for originality, grit, attitude or humour. We weren't sure, but we thought we heard the first song introduced as being entitled 'Rock'. I rest my case.