Johnny Foreigner – Southampton Joiners. 6 June 2008.

With an album released at the beginning of the week, Johnny Foreigner had a hectic week of gigging everywhere and anywhere. Playing the Joiners seems to be special for any band, and despite the unbelievable, almost unbearable heat up on stage the two guys and one girl from Birmingham still made this a gig to remember.

With Ox. Eagle. Lion. Man pulling out the other bands seemed to club together to make sure that the audience got their money’s worth. A local band called Venice Ahoy opened the night, I didn’t catch that much of them but from what we did see they looked a very tight and promising band. Although very now with a sound borrowed from the likes of Klaxons and Foals, they managed to incorporate their own ideas into the songs and their energy and sense of fun was contagious. Oh, and the sniper rifle-style guitar playing was genius.

Tubelord were second up and automatically won our approval with a shoutout and t-shirt tribute to the recently departed Reuben (RIP –we’ll miss them here, one of my favourite bands back from when Underdogzine first started). Hailing from Kingston, the three piece claim to make: “Pop songs for rock kids”, a statement hard to disagree with. With nods to progressive rock but also some heavier, shoutier moments the band are one to watch out for.

A versatile band that bring to mind the likes of Biffy Clyro and a hint of Youthmovies, songs such as ‘Arm Watches Finger’ and ‘Obstacles’ need to be heard by fans of any post-punk/rock/indie/whatever you want to call it. And with the tour they have lined up for the next few months they should be coming to a town near you in the near future. The highlight of their set was the new single, one the band themselves claim to be “a complete rip-off of Oceansize’. Well, if they had to steal at least they’ve stolen from a brilliant band…

After a fairly long wait Johnny Foreigner started up with a blast and it took them one song to complain about the heat on stage. With all three members drenched in sweat, including Kelly the bass player who claims to never perspire (although she also claimed to be a robot built by the other two members Junior and Alexei, so whether to believe that is up to you), the band rattled through 45 minutes of perfect three minute pop songs. With each band member clad in a different band t-shirt you could hear the influences from all in their sound – Operator Please’s youthful enthusiasm, Pixies in the vocal interplays and The Most Serene Republic’s experimental edge all make up the noise that JoFo (as the kids call them) excel in. With songs about how dull their hometown Birmingham is and about girls from there, it was good to see the band have branched out with the one new song they played – about girls in towns other than Birmingham. The lyrics in the songs are both witty and insightful and will resonate with young people of a similar mindset everywhere.

With a rip-roaring energy and a unique sound, this is a band that put their all into a gig every night. Some of the between-song chat was random but well worth listening to, singer and guitarist Alexei talking about a girl he used to fancy before seeing her in a porn video drew a few gasps especially. With Junior playing the drums and a Casio keyboard at the same time and Kelly’s marching bass moves, it was hard to know which member to keep an eye on. So much energy and such a great force between the three members. A band that has helped restore some faith in music after a barren few months, I have a feeling the likes of ‘Sofacore’, ‘Eyes Wide Terrified’ and ‘DJs Get Doubts’ could well be the soundtrack to the summer.

Inviting two members of Tubelord on stage for the final song (their bass player was on merch duties for both bands), it was a loud and fitting end to a rapturous set, with two drummers duelling and some screaming before the band left the stage for some fresh air and a well-deserved drink. Alexei however collapsed in a big heap and had a lie-down for a good ten minutes. Our new favourite band, and we reckon they’ll be yours too if you get the chance to see them live.