New House Farm at Dingwalls 2

This was a gig I will admit I attended because I was at a loose end and fancied going out, but all my mates were tied up in work and Christmas parties. So off I went to Dingwalls 2 (capacity c100) to see a band I knew nothing at all about. But at the ticket price of £7, literally less than the price of the pint I bought when I got there, I didn't feel I could go too far wrong.

Hmm, well support came from a rapper. Didn't catch his name and wasn't on the advertising. I can't really judge the quality of this stuff as I just don't like it. Feels like listening to poetry where you can't make out any of the words. And doesn't feel in any way compatible with an indie band as headliners.

My previous visit to Dingwalls 2 saw a sparse crowd. This one was apparently two souls short of a sell out. So, the place was pretty packed, but didn't feel the better for it in my view. One issue was that the rapper and the main act seemed to have separate fan bases. So, the front of the stage had different people watching and the original group seemed little interest in the main act so went to the back and chatted loudly over the beginning of their set. Which matters little in a crowd of a thousand but when you are only a few metres from the band its distracting.

I also dislike a thing that I have seen in other small venues. Obviously one cannot expect a light show to match the Chemical Brothers, but do they need to bathe the whole performance in deep red, like some seedy brothel?

Anyway, on the New House Farm. Found out a bit from their performance and post gig research. While they seem a new band they are not quite. They are rebranded from being a band called Tbloc. They are from Bolton and this was apparently their debut performance under their new name. 

So were they any good? Hmm. Not sure. They seemed a very likeable set of lads. The lead vocalist was rather drowned out by the band, especially the drummer, which is probably a product of the sound system and small stage rather than any reflection on him. But will they make it big? I can't see why they would. Just nothing special or notable about them. Probably a lot to ask from a new band. Hope they do well. As I say, seemed very likeable. But, a spark of genius? Not that I could see. Or hear. Might be better on record or in a bigger venue