Jacob’s Stories/Guns Or Knives/Klaus Says Buy The Record/Tom Williams/Shoes and Socks Off, Boileroom, Guildford, 11th June 2008. Words - Matt Phelps.

The so-called ‘Bedwetters Tour’ made its merry way to the Boileroom in Guildford tonight, after gigs in Manchester and Sheffield earlier in the week. It was one of the best value gigs Underdogzine has had the pleasure of attending, not least because it was free entry, but also as the line-up was bursting at the seams with talent and all round awesomeness…
First up was Shoes and Socks Off, aka Toby Hayes – one half of the Run For Your Life label (which puts on regular gigs in Aldershot and London), one third of Shield Your Eyes, and former Meet Me In St. Louis frontman.
His set tonight was a far more down-tempo affair than any St. Louis set, but mesmerising all the same. Huddled on stage in a hoodie with just an acoustic guitar for company, Toby played his way through a selection of minimalist tunes as if there was no-one else in the room. The highlight was ‘I’m A World Class Assassin’, with its electrifying rhythm and chord changes and insightful lyrics. Great stuff.
Next on was anti-folkster Tom Williams, who was minus most of his backing band ‘The Boat’ for this acoustic set, but the inclusion of violinist Geri more than made up for the others’ absence as she proved the perfect accompaniment to Tom’s vignettes of growing up in Kent, that are in equal measure both touching and humorous. There’s something wonderfully personal and personable about Tom’s lyrics and the way he sings them. Having already supported the likes of The Wombats, Laura Marling and Jack Penate, the future is certainly bright for this one.
‘Klaus Says Buy The Record’ is certainly an ear-catching name, and his set was equally as interesting. In fact it was hard to take your eyes from the stage as Klaus, aka Jonathan C Mills (at least that’s what his myspace says) raced through an incredible set which saw him flit from acoustic guitar to baritone ukulele, to whole songs or part songs based around loops of his haunting voice. In such an intimate setting the stage wasn’t going to hold him long either, as he frequently made his way into the crowd or onto a chair to play entirely unplugged. There were shades of Patrick Wolf in his voice and songs but Klaus is a great talent in his own right.
Guns or Knives completed the Bedwetters’ section of the night. Also known as Stef Ketteringham, (t’other half of Run For Your Life, and another third of Shield Your Eyes) Guns or Knives set was brilliantly shambolic. Not to be outdone by Klaus on the instrument swapping stakes either as he alternated between numerous electric and acoustic guitars and, for one song, an electric mandolin. Veering between raw blues and minimalist anti-acoustic songs, Stef never gave anyone time to get bored with his pleading voice and brilliant guitar work. Time to change the sheets.
And so for the headline act of the night Jacob’s Stories, who UDZ had briefly seen supporting British Sea Power at the Fort Rox festival in Newhaven in 2006, but had forgotten quite how enchanting his music is. Hailing from Brighton the 27-year-old Stuart Lee constructs musical delicacies using just his voice, a piano and, on this occasion, a mini disc player. Like some kind of missing link between Sigur Ros and Rufus Wainwright, his songs don’t so much as get in your head, as float right into you as if someone has opened a window in your soul to let some fresh air in. Very few people could make a song about Bernard Manning sound so beautiful or sing of the Pope’s halitosis with such tenderness.