Young Knives / Lorraine / The Crimea

Some things just don't mix well. Vodka and orange, chalk and cheese, oil and water, obscure indie bands and in your face corporate sponsorship, those kinda things, which is why the alarm bells should have been ringing before I set foot inside the venue tonight for Virgin Mobile's hideously named 'Pre V Gig' at Newcastle's Carling Academy, but the lineup of The Young Knives, Lorraine, and The Crimea was promising, and having seen all three bands recently, I was pretty certain I could safely expect a great gig.

The Crimea were first up, and for a band that are usually so full of energy and enthusiasm, they seemed distracted and distant. The fact that the crowd could not have been more disinterested if they tried may have played a major part in that, but it cannot be denied that the band had a great chance here to make an impression on a large crowd, and they blew it. The great songs were still great - 'Lottery Winners on Acid' and upcoming single 'Baby Boom', but after seeing the same band put on such a great show at the Latitude festival just two weeks ago, this was unfortunately a disappointment.

Norwegian synth-pop outfit Lorraine were excellent. There is no other way to put it. Having drawn comparisons with The Pet Shop Boys and Coldplay, there is a lot of pressure on this band to make it, and if there is any justice in the music business, they will go all the way. They have the look, attitude and style in abundance, and that's without mentioning the music - 'I Feel It' and 'Beautiful Thing' both soar, and I am sure it won't be long before Lorraine are selling out much bigger venues than this on their own.

Sadly, we were robbed of Lorraine's full set, as unfortunately Newcastle's crowds never take kindly to boys in eyeliner. A hardcore contingent of 'lads' were booing throughout the set, and eventually singer Ole pulled the band offstage after having a pint thrown over him from the front row, fifteen minutes before the end of their allotted time. Sometimes people just don't know a good thing when they see it.

Thankfully, The Young Knives rescued the evening. Coming onstage to a great ovation, it was clear that those people who were still around really wanted to be here, and the change in atmosphere is unbelievable. You wouldn't expect punk pop from the look of them, but The Young Knives deliver it in 'She's Attracted To' and it is the undoubted highlight of the evening, with the whole of Academy 2 bouncing. 'Here Comes The Rumour Mill' and 'Weekends And Bleak Days' both go to show that this is not a band that can be pigeonholed - punk, funk, disco and pop all rolled into one neatly served package, with a few laughs along the way.

Overall this was a gig which promised so much, and could have been amazing, but one which came close to falling very flat indeed, and if this pre-V gig is anything to go by, I'll stay in bed over V Festival weekend, thanks very much.

FUTURE GIGS