The Enemy / The Antics / Dexters

It's true that there is a lack of real guitar bands in the charts at the moment; it has been talked about frequently. I've certainly written about it a lot recently and have found cause to do so once again. What has prompted me this time is that I find myself at the UEA LCR in Norwich for a night of guitar bands trying to change this.

Tom Clarke, front man of tonight's headliners The Enemy, never has been one to mince his words. In recent weeks he has been quite outspoken about this issue and is clearly passionate on the subject. Actions always have spoken louder than words however, so his band have released a new album, 'Streets In The Sky', and hit the road for a lengthy tour.



So here we are tonight in Norwich and first onstage are a young band Dexters from London. These five lads are a perfect example of a new band that despite playing songs packed with catchy choruses, are being held back by a lack of support and airplay from our popular radio stations. Dexters may not be the finished article yet, but they are well on their way to it.



Following on from Dexters are another young band called The Antics. If Dexters aren't yet the finished article then The Antics are as close as you can get to it, without quite being there. They play a fun set that includes their take on The Farm's classic anthem 'All Together Now'. Their dual vocals tonight, provided by both a male and a female singer are a highlight and help set them apart from the rest of the pack.

Completing our entertainment for the evening is a band that's the finished article, Coventry's own The Enemy. They are three albums into a career that has already seen them play some of the largest venues and festivals around. They have even played on the roof of Wembley Stadium prior to last year's F.A. Cup Final. They have also released a string of singles over their career that have regularly troubled the heights of charts.



Despite all of this, I had never personally been bothered by The Enemy and didn't see what the fuss was about. That was until this year's V Festival, and my search for guitar music took me to The Enemy on the second stage. Clarke and co surprised me with their performance, so when they announced tonight's gig, I thought to myself, why not.

And I'm glad that I did, because the lads produce an unrelenting set of raw, hard and fast music that I would compare more to punk than I would to indie. Their music is rough around the edges and as Clarke spits his lyrics into the mic, he resembles a young Joe Strummer, only dressed more like a member of Goldie Lookin' Chain then The Clash.

The energy and passion that Clarke exudes could also be likened to that of the punk movement, and it is an energy and passion that is reciprocated by the appreciative crowd. The crowd tonight are in a rowdy mood and they lap up singles such as 'Away From Here', 'Saturday' and 'Be Somebody'. A particular highlight comes when The Enemy offer their own cover, a rousing rendition of James's 'Sit Down'.

Tonight three young bands have made a stand for guitar music and shown that as long as fans keep attending shows; guitar music is alive and well, even if it's not in the charts.

FUTURE GIGS