venta

When the BBC published their top-tips for top bands for 2007, The Twang came in at number 2. I liked the streamable song the BBC provided, and I noticed the band was playing at the Zodiac for but a few quid. I grabbed tickets, and watched it sell out as The Twang popped up all over the place.

Actually, I kind of forgot about the gig, and only got round to checking out some other songs the afternoon before the gig. They were a bit... disappointing. Not the reasonably cheerful guitar band I'd remembered, but a ponderous-sounding outfit with a Mike Skinner wannabe on vocals. Oh dear.

Still, I figured the tickets were bought anyway. We arrived when the support was on stage, and I have to say I rather enjoyed them. Ripchord are a four piece: vocals/guitar/sharp shirt, backing vocals/guitar/goofy grin, bass/big hair and someone who plays the drums and is female at the same time. And they had their name on the drum.

Ripchord aren't genre-busting, ground-breaking, gravity-defying, or anything else that bands are supposed to be these days. However, they play nice chunky guitar rock with stompy basslines and tight vocal harmonies. Plenty nice enough to bounce along to; I must get myself over to their website and see what they sound like recorded.

When The Twang emerged, it turns out there's five of them. Guitar, bass, drums and two vocalists. It's rare enough to see a band where the singer just sings; I'm not sure I've ever seen a band with two vocals-only people. Anyway, they both want to be Mike Skinner, though one of them does actually sing a bit every now and again as well.

I was experimenting with various comparisons (for example, I think the guitarist would really like to be in the Stone Roses) before the obvious was pointed out to me: they are in fact the Happy Mondays. They've even got the glazed expressions down to a T.

I'm not sure I'm going to rave about them, but if you liked your 90s baggy, you should give them a listen. Their website will stream audio at you - in particular, I'd recommend Cloudy Room, which appeared as a wig-out closing track.