Twisted Wheel @ KU Bar, Stockton 30/07/2010 gig review by Bob Garner

Stockton Review by Bob Garner

July 30th. A friday night in Stockton-on-Tees at the K.U. Bar, home to tribute bands galore, although framed set lists from The View, The Enemy, Friendly Fires and other authentics line the wall. Still, touring rock bands are a rarity in this neck of the woods. It may have something to do with its distance from any major motorway but the fans are genuinely keen and appreciative. Five grown men come to the door thinking it's still a lapdance club but they're not too disappointed when they hear Twisted Wheel will be performing and probably not taking any of their clothes off. They part with their money, after asking me if it's going to be a good night.

There's probably a 60-40 male-female ratio which increases due to an incongruous dance night happening in the bar playing everything from Snoop Dogg to The Libertines.

Twisted Wheel have just arrived and genuine fans are in the bar and outside pestering Rick Lees and Jonny Brown for photos (new drummer Eoghan Clifford has yet to become familiar but isn't bothered by lack of attention). The lads willingly oblige most requests. Jonny, however,is invited to a premiere outside the gig. He gets very excited.

'Cool. Which Premier hotel is that?' thinking he's been invited to a Premier Lodge party. He is visibly disappointed to discover it's a red carpet film event. A good illustration of how Twisted Wheel are pure entertainment, as random and unpredictable as their songs.

They come on stage at 11.45pm with a feral yelp from Jonny. It's already hot but, within one hour, it becomes a Turkish bath. The band are keen to test out new songs they'll be recording over the next few months for their second album. These are real, ferocious and beautiful, losing none of the tight energy and structure from before but developing them into more expressive rock 'n' roll nuggets. Jaws dropped to the floor with the 50s style 'Poppy Love' and 'UK Blues'- about the effect of the loss of biting rock 'n' roll in the UK-was greeted like an old fave. Other songs such as 'Oh what have you done?' and 'You Stole The Sun' were sung back at them. New songs like the sombre 'Tell The World' and uptempo 'Do It Again' showed their increasing versatility.

This is a band who continually defy comparison and categorisation, making old songs sound even better and totally rejigging the rules of the game with their humorous swagger.

They also make a point in playing the smallest venues in the most forgotten about towns- but, after tonight in Stockton at least, neither town nor band will be 'forgotten about'.

Bio info:the Oldham trio cut their touring teeth, supporting Oasis, Kasabian, Paul Weller, The Enemy, The View, Pigeon Detectives, doing 246 tour dates last year in the UK alone, notwithstanding Japan but are about to go on a headline tour following the summer festivals featuring new and old material and showing their development and departure from expected 'indie rock'. By the response of the Stockton crowd, their courage will be well rewarded. The new face of a different punk is baring itself in the places that mattter.