Chaplin’s Cellar Bar, Boscombe
So, one week on from NYE and it’s that time of year when no-one is attending gigs, let alone venturing out. With the current financial crisis one could be forgiven for staying in and saving their pennies – I on the other hand have decided to support my local scene and for the price of one pint and the associated minimal petrol cost; come to support Bournemouth’s finest purveyors of all things Post/Punk. (I don’t like the Alt/Indie tag the band sometimes get, they are so far away from that genre)
Anyway, I digress….. So, with tonight’s headliners Shepsi doing a no-show and with not a hint of apology to the master of ceremonies Mr. Connie, Skaema get bumped up to headliners. Now I’m no stranger to this band having covered them from the very early days, but with the promise of new material, I am here to observe and critique.
They open with “Happy Daze” and stay with their early output to begin the set. Despite such a paltry turnout they deliver on all levels. Duncan (Bass/Vocals) is sporting a new bass and the power is unrelenting. Neil (Vocals/Guitar/Keyboards) is purposeful and concentrated throughout while (fairly) new drummer Peter is starting to deliver the goods now and making the stool his own.
Ok so they are crying out for a crowd but “Hey!”, no worries (see what I did there)?! “Dead Behind The Eyes” is an early highlight, followed by the excellent “Devil In A Dress”. The lyrical content escapes me but I’m guessing it’s a tale of Small Town England. First cover of the evening comes in the shape of The Cure’s “A Forest”. I have to say I wasn’t expecting this as I have long championed them to throw in a Stranglers cover, but they make it their own with throbbing basslines, harder-edged picking and pounding drums.
It’s at this point they unleash the newbies. “Revolving Door” is the first of these which sees the band in a new light. “Relate” comes next, one can make their own mind up about lyrical content and “Mother’s Ruin” stays in the same ballpark. Songs about marital strife, now there’s a thing – one can only hope they are not from an autobiographical slant? “Make Your Bed” on the other hand is about being stuck in a job you hate, and we’ve all been there! With these four new numbers, Skaema are showing there are other elements to their canon – one wonders how these will translate once put down during studio time. And so we head back to more familiar songs.
“Tinderbox” is not an SLF cover and leads us up to the anthemic “Fencesitter” with its wholesome chorus, belted out with aplomb. “Take The Last Exit” takes me right back to where I first saw the band, all those years ago at Sound Circus; while “The Scene” I guess is self-explanatory. ‘Sidewinder’ once again is the standout track tonight and reminds me why I love this band before they depart on another cover. When they first debuted “Personal Jesus” I was horrified, I even commented at the time to Neil that I preferred the original! But credit where it’s due, they have run with it and given the song the Skaema stamp which I applaud them for. And that my friends is that.
With so many new young bands adopting the Post/Punk tag but not really delivering, it’s refreshing to see the old guard still flying the flag. I long for the band to get noticed by the likes of some bigger names within this scene and get their music heard by a wider audience. For now, though us locals can enjoy their fare.
Track listing
Happy Daze
Hey!
Dead Behind the Eyes
Devil in a Dress
A Forest (The Cure)
Revolving Door
Relate
Mother’s Ruin
Make Your Bed
Tinderbox
Fencesitter
Take the Last Exit
The Scene
Sidewinder
Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode)
Links
https://www.facebook.com/skaemaband
http://www.skaema.bandcamp.com
Review, Pictures and Media by Ross A. Ferrone.
