Tender Youth, Hampton Ponds, Good Delusions and Hazy Waters at the New Cross Inn

I was at a loose end on a Bank Holiday Monday so thought I would try out this gig at New Cross Inn with four bands totally unknown to me. 

I have complained before about these low level gigs giving opening times that bear no relation to reality. But I was especially sore about this one. My ticket clearly said 6-9pm. Which did seem rather early, but I put this down to being a Bank Holiday Monday. So in reliance, I felt it was too early to eat beforehand given it would take me over an hour to get to New Cross. Instead if it finished at 9 I should be home about 10 - late but acceptable for dinner.

Even though I arrived at 6:30 that was still way too early. I just arrived in the midst of sound checks. It was nearly 8 before a band started playing and by 9:30 the main act still hadn't come on. Upshot was that I started cooking at midnight. Starving. Grr!

Although a pain to get to (Bus, two tubes and overground) I quite liked the feel of the venue - good wide stage, big bar at the back.

And I liked the opening act, Tender Youth. Who despite the name were not especially youthful. As the lead singer told me in perfect English, they were Danish and had moved from Copenhagen to New Cross (presumably on cost grounds rather than its bright lights). I am sure there is much more of an indie music scene in London than in Copenhagen. 

What I liked about them was that they were a bit different. They employed an electric violin. They looked (but didn't sound) a bit eighties New Romantics. Lead singer had a good strong voice. 

I might have liked the next act, Hampton Ponds, too. If I had heard them properly. But the balance on sound was all off. And in particular there was nothing audible from the lead singer's mic until halfway through the penultimate song. And then it disappeared again in the middle of the last one. So pretty hard to judge a band on hearing only very loud drums and bass. They did a cover of Turning Japanese which I could only just discern from the lead guitar part.

Sadly the trio Good Delusions didn't sound good enough to me. A bit too unsure what they were, playing both punk covers and some of their own rap.

And by the time Hazy Waters came on I was starving. A little pre-gig research suggested they were shoegaze genre but they were a little loud for that. And the lead singer had just a bit too much confidence in her vocals. Strong voice, but not 100% in key. I gave them a few songs before I headed for the exit with dreams of sustenance...