Demos

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Demo

Bill Cummings 28/08/2004

Rating: 3/5

Cardiff's TVEGC are three students at art school who teamed up a few years back to form a new group who take an angular raw take on the art rock sound. The sound of this demo is equal parts Sonic Youth in their stuttering rhythms and vocals, and the ragged sound of The White stripes with clattering drum work driving melodic bass lines and Adam's wracked vocals. It's a nice concoction that should see TEVGC gain more and more acclaim on the local scene.

Opener 'Let The Lies Out' is typical: storming drum patterns are topped by throbbing bass work and delicious female backing vocals all twisted up by Adam's lead vocal performance that recalls the Detroit garage sound of a few years back. 'The Dead Don't Bite' is a twitching beast of a song featuring a fearsome rhythm reminiscent of Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, ending with a gloriously spiky riff. Third up, 'Winding Sheet', is probably the highlight; the verse's angst ridden lyrics of, "I cry just a little/I lie just a little/I die in pain just a little" give way to a angular set of stabbing riffs and a brilliantly shambling melodic chorus of "Take me away to the wind in the tree's/ take me away to the to the winding sheet" - its the sound of a man in a strait-jacket struggling to get free and singing out his last breaths. Closer '2-4' is a more raucous effort; its furious riff featuring yelping backing from Louise on bass and Emma on drums, its short but sweet and probably not the best example of their sound but a decent 40 second art punk segue.

A very decent demo from a band who are building up a raw but perfectly formed art/punk/rock sound, in a year of gigging they have certainly created a buzz and its not just their name that will get people talking about them.

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club release their eponymous debut album on 28th August through Fantastic Plastic Records

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