Leeds based Grammatics released their self-titled debut album earlier this year to critical acclaim, with the majority of reviewers giving it 8/10 or above, including the ‘ever so hard to please’ ‘Drowned In Sound’ and the NME to name but a few. It really is a great album, and these guys were going to show us southerners how it sounded in the flesh.

First up were Cubrik, and the first thing I noticed was some crazy-good drumming going down. The guy knew how to pull it all off, and didn’t even flinch as he zoomed about the kit. Their blend of prog. rock with heavier metal parts seemed to work really well, and they even dropped in some heavy beat downs now and then. The songs were pretty catchy, and slidey math riffs also showed their heads every now and again. Sadly it looked to me like they weren’t interacting like a band should, and although it was tight as you like, I felt they didn’t feed off each other enough.

Violin maniacs Talons were next up, and like Grammatics, they were a few days into their tour around the UK. Crammed onto a tiny stage looked uncomfortable to start with, but I’m guessing it isn’t the first time the 6 of them have had to huddle round and play. Their huge sound dives between fat riffs to melodic loveliness, and the violins make it a little bit more interesting. The single Bethlehem was an amazing finisher. Walking onto the stage, Grammatics turned out to be a right bunch of presentable lads and lady, almost like the kind of people you’d invite to your house for dinner. They’ve got the usual guitar/bass/drums combo, but even have a cellist playing some awesome melody lines and supporting the bass.

Shadow Committee has an amazing intro riff, and cow bell in the drums is welcome in any song. Broken Wings sounded even better live than it did on record, with Owen cracking out some amazing vocal work. His voice is so pitched it’s scary. They even stayed on to do a mini-encore of Relentless Fours, probably because a lot of people were shouting for it…