Sights And Sounds
The Hydrant, Brighton

Following a frenetic, if tepidly received set from openers Housefires (capsule review: ferociously passionate, a little incoherent, but deserve better), The Hydrant plays host to a much-anticipated outing from Anacondaz. Featuring former members of Johnny Truant, this three-piece treat the venue to a set of their sludgy, riff-littered brilliance, and lo, we are half deaf. We’d say something like ‘check out their website’ but they don’t seem to have a web presence as yet, so our advice is, if you see their name on a bill near you, don’t hesitate. But do take earplugs, yeah?

Verses are a decidedly lighter proposition, but they do well nonetheless. Having kept an eye on these local chaps since their early days as Thoughts Collide (ah, memories, and so on) it’s fantastic to see how solid and convincing their live show has become. Dominating the stage like true pros, the four-piece sound huge, and there’s little doubt that they’ve a bright future ahead of them… keep a look out for a new record and expect big things.

However, Sights And Sounds are not to be upstaged. One of the most underrated live acts on the planet, the Canadian quintet put on a typically powerful performance: bolstered by David Grabowski on keyboards, they sound more expansive than ever. Songs like ‘Neighbours’ and ‘Sorrows’ showcase the band’s stylistic range, frontman Andrew Neufeld (of Comeback Kid renown) providing a compelling focal point, and attacking the mic with as much passion as ever. Last time we saw this lot was in 2009 and, somewhat unbelievably, they’re even better this time around, ploughing through despite The Hydrant’s frequently less than ideal sound system, and, no doubt, making a fair few new fans in the process. Here’s hoping that their tour in support of Lower Than Atlantis has the same effect, because we’d love to see them over here sooner rather than later, and we can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves with (hopefully) album number two. Great stuff all round.

http://www.facebook.com/sightsxsounds
http://www.facebook.com/thisisverses?ref=ts&sk=app_178091127385
http://www.facebook.com/housefires?ref=ts&sk=app_178091127385

Review by Rob Sayce