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Say No More

One Day Elliott, Say No More, Junkyard Eddie, + Gladsack – Maidstone Corn Exchange 18.3.05

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This was to be Tom of Say No More’s first gig that he had ever put on, and because of this he was nervous for weeks before the gig thinking that no one would turn up. Of course, a fair amount of people did in fact turn up to the gig, but by this stage the nerves were kicking in for Tom and his band Say No More as this was only one of their first gigs, and their biggest gig to date by far.

The first band on were Gladsack – a band that are currently in the sixth form at MGS. I really don’t know how to describe their sound as it truly is a bit of a mystery but there you go. If you go on to their PureVolume account you will find describe themselves as Jazz/Experimental/Pop so there you go. I cant really remember much about them to be honest – probably because at the time I was running around finding people I know/going outside to sell people tickets who I’d promised I’d save some for but never mind – if you want to know more about this band then check them out for yourselves at http://www.purevolume.com/gladsack

The second band on were Junkyard Eddie – this band were well suited to the gigs Punky line up and shot through some great songs at a fast pace and with a fair amount of style. It started off a bit weirdly I thought with the band kicking off their set with a cover of Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ but there you go – it got the crowds attention I guess, even if it was for the wrong reasons. I think Junkyard Eddie had quite a tough job because they were the first band of the night to play Punk so it was quite hard for them to get the crowd going and get them moving. I think they did a fairly good job however and put in a solid set.

Next up were the band of the moment – Say No More, a band that I have been quite pleased with despite never seeing them live as with their first Demo they really did produce something special. The band got through their Demo tracks as well as some new songs that they’d been writing to save themselves the embarrassment of having one of the shortest sets ever. I really like their new stuff – it seems to be coming along nicely, and it was a great enjoyment to see the crowd’s positive reaction to Say No More. The band were really nervous when they first came on stage and you could tell that they weren’t too comfortable up there, which isn’t too surprising considering it was their biggest gig so far – but when the crowd were loving their music the band seemed to loosen up a bit and really got stuck into their set. They definitely made a lot of new fans at this gig, with many people requesting their Demo after they’d finished playing.

Headlining tonight were the Maidstone legends One Day Elliott – love them or hate them, there is no denying that in the last year or so the band have really come on strong and are quickly developing into something special. Long gone are the sloppy sets of old, and in their place is a really tight band that would look good on any line up. The band managed to get through a fair amount of material from their recently released ‘Rule Number One’ CD which was good to see as I really like it, and it is definitely the best record that the band have ever recorded. As well as this, the band also got through a few of their old classics and even managed to dedicate a track to their recently departed drummer Jamie who was in attendance at the gig. They are definitely at their best at the moment and it is only a matter of time before they get snapped up to some sort of label with amazing new songs like ‘01622’ and ‘Two Night Stand’ to boot. Hopefully One Day Elliott will be playing again locally some time in the not too distant future as I really enjoy their gigs now and they’ve definitely got a lot to offer.

So, all in all Tom and the rest of Say No More’s gig was a major success with everyone having a great time and getting really into all of the bands that played. Hopefully they will be putting on some more gigs in and around Maidstone – probably not at the Corn Exchange though because of its high cost and small chance of breaking even. There was a curfew at this gig and people weren’t allowed in the venue after 9:15 – so a fair amount of people that wanted to go couldn’t, which is a shame as if there hadn’t been a curfew then the gig could have been an even greater success than it was.

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Say No More Demo

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This is the first Demo from Maidstone band Say No More and is a really promising first effort. The band have been together for just over a year, but they only played their first gig at the end of March and so far have only played about three gigs in total so they are still in the early stages of development really. This is a 4 track Demo showing off the bands fine Pop Punk which draws influence most notably from Blink182.

The Demo kicks off with the Intro, which starts the CD off in a Hardcore fashion and is closely followed by the bands first track of the CD, ‘Come Home.’ There is definitely a Tom DeLonge influence to the vocals in this track, with some strong drum beats, amazing guitar riffs, and some smooth bass lines which finish the track off nicely. This is a well put together first track for the Demo which gets you in the mood for more. The band then moves on to the second track, ‘Careless.’ This is another good track and the band continues to impress with their, fast, funky pop punk. Again, the drumming is really strong and makes the song sound truly amazing – concluding with a smart drum solo that will almost certainly have you tapping your feet to. This is probably one of my favourite tracks from the Demo and it really does go down a treat. The band just sound amazing on this track and you’d never believe that they’ve only been together just over a year and played a mere three gigs.

‘Where’s Dad’ is the third track on the CD and the band carry on their full on assault of good quality Punk Rock that you can see yourself dancing to at a gig. This truly is another classic track from the band and is proof hat they will one day be something quite special. If they can do this after a year of being together and barely any gigs then in a few years time there is no reason why they shouldn’t be one of the leading bands in the scene. They have definitely got talent and really show it off on this Demo. ‘One Last Word’ is no exception to the rule as the band finish the CD off nicely with another serving of Punk Rock. This is a nice little number to end the CD with as it is a top quality tune and the band as always really do sound good on it. The instrumental side of this track sounds spot on, as do the vocals – it really is a genius tune and I am sure that the band are really proud of what they have produced here.

Say No More are by no means perfect, but they have definitely got something good going here and have plenty of stuff they can work on to improve their sound and continue to grow as a band. After a first Demo you can generally see whether a band is going to work or not, and on the basis of this Demo, Say No More are certainly going to work long term and end up being something truly astounding one day. They have the basics and have definitely got talent so there is no reason why the band shouldn’t go on to achieve greater things in the scene. I’m really looking forward to hearing what the band come up with next as I truly believe that they have a bright future ahead of them.

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