Newsum Turn / Censored / Captain Dangerous

You might think that Captain Dangerous is a Marvel comic hero clad in Lycra with a cape trailing from his back but you’d be horribly mistaken. The four piece indie outfit from Nottingham really don’t live up to there name as far as I’m concerned. If I had gone to this gig blind and not listened to any of their material beforehand I may have inadvertently thought I was to bear witness to some kind of glam rock, in your face, tomfoolery. The reality of the situation is that those thoughts were swept away the moment they strode on stage. The “I’m in Captain Dangerous” T-shirts weren’t quite the Lycra chic I was anticipating but at least we were left in no doubt as to who they were.



Dangerous’ sound as they sometimes call themselves is refreshing. There is a great sense of honesty that shines through in Clarkson’s voice but also a degree of naivety that keeps you hooked; similar to that feeling you get when your parent’s read you a bedtime story, you want to hear what happens next. The experience is oddly captivating.

It was encouraging to see Clarkson swigging from a half empty bottle of Lambrini as the stage was being prepared. A band that takes themselves too seriously is easily picked up by the audience. They were just here for a great time. ‘No good times intended’ showcases their tremendously likeable, bouncy riffs. Clarkson’s vocals combined with Clark’s backing gives it a great rounded melody that screams of the good old days. It is not always helpful to compare a new band on the scene with other well known acts but after listening tonight I can see where the comparisons to ‘The Jam’ and ‘Morrissey’ have spawned from. ‘Wipe the tears from your eyes’ is a heart wrenching tale of desperation that really shows a deeper emotional aspect to their material, also a chance to experience some great guitar solo work. Dangerous is a tight knit team and a whole lot of fun, it will be intriguing to see what the musical machine makes of these lads.

A last minute change to the line up meant that a band had to be found and they turned out to be Censored, a hugely enjoyable classic rock outfit which included twangs of Led Zeppelin and The Kinks.

The long wait proved to be fruitful as the last group emerged from the green room. Leicester isn’t really a city I associate with a great music scene although it is rare that I get to venture that far. Newsum Turn are one of those bands which, in a completely insane way, take you away from your place in the crowd and entirely engulf you with their music. There is no denying that the material they performed this evening was pure poetic genius.



Epic rock beats combined with the awe inspiring vocal talent of Luke Wedgebury make it very difficult indeed not to just close your eyes and drift away on the waves of goose bumps that will inevitably cover you. There were some truly beautiful moments where tears were not far away. It is a great injustice to compare Wedgebury’s Vocal skills to that of Mark Greaney from JJ72 but certain tones in the upper echelons of his range did bear a resemblance.

‘Broken’ reveals what they are all about the adamant drum beat instantly got heads nodding and people swaying all round which was fantastic as most people had been sitting all evening. The simple Piano melody gives it a bona fide maturity that has not been seen since the likes of Coldplay and Keane came to town.

It is probably won’t be long before Newsum Turn are performing where they deserve to be, not that playing intimate venues is bad, it’s just that there music cannot be contained in a 200 capacity space. It deserves to be heard en masse, they have something to say and I believe we will hear it very shortly.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.