Charly Six
Live at Leeds Metropolitan University on Saturday, 22nd July 2000
It had certainly been a long time. Cast your mind back to May 1999 and remember Brass Monkey. Clean sweepers on the Leeds Music Parade. Perhaps the tightest band I have ever seen at non-pro level, a stage show that had you rattling from start to finish, and a Leeds band with a true following (i.e not just their mates). Well what happenned? I don't know but a note dropped through my door last Tuesday telling me that Brass Monkey were now Charly Six, that they had a FEMALE vocalist and they were back on the live scene following a rather serious sounding Bass player disaster. So I went along. Hoping to catch some that rare passion that Brass Monkey had. On their day Brass Monkey fucking blew you away - not musically but with their desire to play. Now Charly Six are not the same band. It has mellowed out a lot. There is a lot more melody and not so much jumping around. A couple of songs have survived but they are by far the weakest. Simone Crocker is the new singer and she really can sing. Sometimes I felt that she was out of key but there is no doubting the voice. And the guitar player is stunning - really stunning. Seriously you can stand there all night and wonder where in hell he learnt to play like that. They don't knock you off you feet like Brass Monkey did but the songs are better. If they could recapture that desire, that passion for music then we would have perhaps the best band in Leeds again. With a bit of time Charly Six could rule the world. If you don't beleive it come and see for yourself. We have a rare talent screaming at the door.
