Baddies / Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun / The Divine Secret / Che

Tonight the Frog and Fiddle saw the debut of the Treeprog event. Treeprog is the brainchild from 2 of the 6 gentlemen who organize the annual dose of the 2000 Trees Festival- James Scarlett, and Simon Maltas. They are looking to create a new style of event. Using their successes in the festival industry, their aim is to kick start a local event which will see support slots filled by native talent, and a decent headliner to round off the night. They're attitude leans more to a diverse palette of support bands instead of just similar artists.

The evening began with the band Che. Che played to the slowly filling room and really kicked off the evening in a great frame of mind. With their Rock strong sound, with a hint of pop, they were a great taster for the evening ahead. But the element of Che that was turning heads had to be the vocals from the lead singer. A pitch perfect, fantastic voice which carried nicely throughout the venue, loaded with originality and range.

Next up was the always enjoyable The Divine Secret - exploding into their set with the epic 'Big Things'. Their progressive and experimental sound changed the mood of the room into that of high energy and power. Songs such as 'I'm The Expert, You're The Novice' and 'Gift Wrapped Compromise' were well received by the crowd. Frontman Joe Green's dynamic and engaging appeal shone throughout the set. Especially during the track 'Look At How Their Mouths Move', where he encouraged the crowd to sing along with some backing vocals. Most of the crowd was more than happy to oblige. It was always nice to see the band having a good time.

Barny Barnfield's (bass) constant animation and enthusiasm, coupled with Ben Newham's solid drumming performance and big smiles bounced well off the other band members. This was three friends on-stage having a good time, never forgetting the most important ingredient of the show - the music.

In keeping with tonight's eclectic mix of music, next to hit the stage was Jim Lockey And The Solemn Sun. These guys have a lot going for them. Being constant touring partners of the awesomely talented Frank Turner, music styles were certainly mirrored here. Their mix of folk rock, hint of rock and roll, and a dash of punk really brought the crowd together.

Beautiful songs such as 'Caskets And Bibles' and 'The Wire' really got the audience moving. Harmonies were mastered as front man Jim Lockey and percussionist Joe Summers weaved their vocals together seamlessly. The strength in the bands set was instilled in their ability to change the tempo of their music completely. From the former mentioned slower numbers, to the more punchy yet short 'Luxembourg', the boys kept mixing it up throughout their set. The perfect diversity to complement tonight's goals. The guys finished the set with a full acoustic number played within the crowd. Each band member stood in a circle, surrounded by fans all too eager to join in with the show.

Nice Touch.

Tonight's headliners, Baddies, emerged to a curious crowd. All dressed in matching blue shirts and black trouser uniforms, Baddies erupted onto the stage. They had the strangest of appeals. Front man Michael Webster wasn't one to hold back on breaking the ice. Diving straight into the crowd during their first song- 'Machine'.

With an almost possessed look, Webster was hypnotizing. His eyes transfixed on the crowd as he bellowed his vocals through the venue. His movements were purposefully robotic, yet strangely alluring and defiantly original. Webster's lead was nicely complemented by the hard pounding and almost marching beat of his brother on drums- Jim Webster. Jim took no prisoners in his consistent performance throughout the set. His instrument reverberated around the room, demanding the attention of all involved, with some particularly impressive off beat drumming.

Baddies could never have been accused of just going through the motions tonight. With tracks supercharged with energy such as 'Open One Eye', 'We Beat Our Chests', and current single 'Holler For My Holiday', it truly was an enthusiastic and inspiring set. Proven by a powerful display of music and emotions. With their Queens Of The Stoneage swagger, meets Block Party on speed energy, it became a recipe for a truly infused show. Tonight was also a warm-up for their Glastonbury performance this coming Saturday. If Baddies are able to even just match this level of effort they've put in here tonight, then they'd be guaranteed to be leaving the big festival with some new followers. These guys are one's to watch.

All in all the evening accomplished what it's set out to do. A decent headliner with some great, non genre stereotyped support. Their first night has certainly left a great sound in our ears. This gig mentality is breathing genuine relief into the local live music scene. And with a bit of luck and support by some stellar line-ups like this evening, not only will it survive, but blossom.

FUTURE GIGS

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