LOST ON CAMPUS
The last time that I saw Lost On Campus it was just Rob and a guitar playing songs in a working mans club in Goole at a mutual friend's birthday show while the audience sat on the floor supping their ridiculously cheap plonk. A fair bit has changed since then. Rob has been on a few mini-tours and he has tightened the act accordingly. Also on board now is his trusty laptop providing backing beats and sounds akin to early Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (a sound I feel was superior to when he got the band involved). The nucleus has remained the same though, it's still Rob and his acoustic guitar playing college rock songs about girls.
It is here that you notice Lost On Campus' first problem. British singer-songwriters are supposed to write songs routed in gritty, grimy, mundane reality. Kitchen sink music, sung with a northern or cockney accent. Rob is camp, fun and has songs that are more of the Dashboard Confessional school of acoustic rock than Frank Turner. While this means that I can't see as much of a market for him as those anti-folk starlets coming through, it makes his placing on this pop punk bill suitable and he manages to entertain because of his somewhat cliched lyrics and cheesy laptop accompaniment rather than despite.
The highlight of the set came with a new song written about his dad's death. A tender and heartfelt song that manages to captivate everyone watching and finishes with an explosive applause. Lost On Campus have pop hooks in every song and repeat them often enough for you to still be mouthing them long after the other bands have finished. Not really my kind of acoustic act but still fun and if you're a fan of Dashboard or The Rocket Summer then you would be well advised to check them out.
http://www.myspace.com/lostoncampus
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! PHOTOGRAPHY
I would imagine that without Flash! Flash! Flash! Photography and England vs. France on the television The Windmill would have been almost empty tonight. A cold, wet Wednesday evening is hardly the optimum choice of conditions for a pop punk gig featuring out of town, barely heard of bands, but 3FP are such a draw (excusing the couple of old geezers in the corner who have yet to realise that watching England friendlies is a pointlessly frustrating experience) that the place is as full as it is.
With a larger stage Mike (lead vocals) finally has the space he desires to take control of the stage, and although the band seem more comfortable, they also seem tired. This coupled with the gig running late from the off means that the band cut the majority of their between song banter and run through the songs with more professionalism but less energy. This is reflected in the crowd who stand stationary until set closer Aquaman when everyone dispenses of their adrenalin reserves and some fun is had. A good gig that just about makes having headed out in the rain worthwhile.
http://www.myspace.com/flashflashflashphotography
MIMI SOYA
I didn't want to mention Paramore. I honestly didn't but when everyone I spoke to before, during and after MiMiSoya compared the two it would seem sloppy of me not to talk of the likeness. To me there is very little similarity and it is unfair of people to instantly throw around negative connotations just because this is girl fronted pop punk.
MiMi Soya do nothing for me though. It just seems to me quite lazy and formulaic, with little to entice me away from those bands that they are influenced by.
http://www.myspace.com/mimisoya
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