Upon being asked to review this gig, I agreed like a shot having heard that the opening act was "a bit of a sensation" and none other than Jamelia. However, as she appeared onstage I realised my mistake, as this was in fact local lad Jim Ollier, a 13-year-old new kid on the block. Jim Ollier | | Jim Ollier |
Tonight, Jim performed four songs. Ok, some of the lyrics were overly repetitive and simplistic, particularly noticeable in Exit and Lyonese, but these are after all self-penned numbers, and although he has been singing and playing for just a year, Jim's remarkably strong, husky singing voice belied his youth and inexperience. Being let down by his drummer at extremely short notice, Jim handled his solo appearance extremely successfully, especially as previously he had played only a handful of low-key gigs, whilst this was a sold-out packed venue. Any nerves were not obvious and Jim demonstrated a talent, which, while still green at the moment, could develop into a bright future. Joe PublicNext up was Joe Public, who formed four years ago while at Ansford School.  | | Joe Public |
The quartet has played numerous gigs during its career, and although the lads are still in their mid-teens, their fresh and diverse material represented a far greater maturity than that. There was much going on in songs that were both enthusiastically delivered and received. At times their material strayed a little too close to Radiohead and Muse territory, yet they played confidently and competently, interchanging instruments, and with a fine use of keyboards. In my mind, they outshone the other acts and are definitely a band to watch out for in the future. Their strength of style, material and delivery should prove to be a great grounding for a very promising career. PinstripePinstripe from Shepton Mallet followed. This is yet another band with a short but busy history, and a keen song-writing ability.  | | Pinstripe |
While they too in places had a Radiohead vibe, and a nod towards say Coldplay, they had plenty of unique flair and individuality to ensure this didn't matter. They had the confidence to try a new song, but unfortunately stumbled during it. Also, the house lights came on mid-set, I assume so that one of the fights of the evening could be resolved. These two issues could have disconcerted the lads, yet thankfully they easily overcame them and carried on regardless. The songs were a mixture of introspective emo-style love songs, alongside more up-tempo numbers that gave the guys an opportunity to whig out. Keyboard-heavy penultimate number Memory was aptly the most memorable, and on the strength of tonight's showing I can appreciate why they have been tipped for bigger things. TijuanaFinally, Tijuana took to the stage.  | | Tijuana |
They were somewhat miffed that in a previous review I suggested they sounded too much like Rage Against the Machine, but now I'm afraid they're going to like this review even less. They have dropped some of the more aggressive rap elements since I last saw them, but what they have replaced them with is merely dreary and insipid. Maybe they were just having an off night but they had an air of tiredness or complacency or both, and apart from their extremely talented guitarist Jake Meeking, who was at times bouncing around the stage, their performance lacked the high-energy of previous shows. They've cut down on their covers, the sole one tonight being a lacklustre rendition of the Chili's Give it Away, while a dub-reggae-infused song, receiving its first live airing tonight, was a definite highlight.  | | Tijuana |
By the time they finished, the audience had dwindled somewhat. They encored with Towers of Disguise, which, alongside earlier Break Free (both Rage Against the Machine inspired in my opinion), was, ironically, their strongest number. Maybe, having achieved a certain level of success, they think they can sit back on their heels and not continue to push for dizzier heights and still keep the fans happy? It certainly feels like it. Overall, this was a great exposition of our budding local musical talent. A certain local farmer who hosts his own little festival in Pilton was even spotted checking out the artists from the audience. | 
