"Where?"
"Sowerby Bridge."
"Where??"
"Use the SatNav!"
So went the conversation prior to the most recent SUPER FAST GIRLIE SHOW gig. When in doubt, Google it.
Apparently I was looking for a place called The Puzzle Hall Inn: a 17th Century building which once included a brewery. It's situated on the banks of the Rochdale Canal and has a 'previously appeared at' list that includes The Jim Jones Revue, Eureka Machines, Glen Matlock and The U.K Subs.
Having loaded the address into the trusty Tom Tom we set off up the M62 towards Leeds. Those of you familiar with the region will know that once you get past North Manchester and start cutting across them moors, the scenery gets a bit bleak. You will also be familiar with that farm that the bisects the motorway. Well, at that point we exited left and headed down towards the Booth Wood Reservoir, stopping to note that some 800,000,000 gallons are contained behind that wall at a depth of 156 feet. Having stimulated the mind we continued our journey, some five miles later entering Sowerby Bridge - Tom Tom did not fail us, guiding us direct to the Puzzle Hall Inn.
As we approached I noted it was a stone built building, I also noted just how small it was, but then considered that as we were on an incline it may descend out of view down towards the canal.
We walked in to be greeted by a main room with the obvious 'performance area' at the far end. when I say 'far end' it's the same size as a generous living room. Off to the right is possibly the smallest bar I have ever entered - in pub terms what is smaller than a 'snug?'
None of these dimensions seemed to matter to the half dozen elder locals (all with dogs) swiftly guzzling micro-brewery real ales - the poster on the wall confirmed the gig, so I was in the right place. It was still a a bit early so we took the decision to leave said locals to their pints and to 'take in the town'.
Odd place, nothing wrong with it, in fact it's perfectly pleasant, just odd that nearly every business in the town is either a bar, a restaurant, fast food take-away or somewhere to get both a spray tan and a set of acrylic nails. That said, with so much choice finding somewhere to eat was not a problem, we even took a walk along the canal, admired the engineering wonder of lock gates before heading back to The Puzzle; the dog loving locals having been replaced many times over by a hotchpotch of punks, metal heads and the curious, who were enjoying the late evening sunshine.
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Getting into the place was not easy - it seemed busy with the half dozen dog lovers a few hours back; now however we were faced with a seething wall of bodies, all clamouring to secure their place. It's also hot, in fact it's very hot though this is nothing to what happens next - Phil Hartley, bass slung low Hook-style, crouches in front of an array of effects pedals. He activates a tone generator which he them proceeds to crank up and down the audible range, drummer Gonzo Jones raises his arms skyward before bringing his sticks crashing down, stage left Pasha, bass - yes there are two of them, also slung low snarls into his microphone before the gates to Hades are opened.
What follows is a full frontal sonic assault, a primordial roar that easily matches the subterranean depths of Booth Wood Reservoir. Phil Hartley stomps across various gates and pedals, his distorted sounds adding snatches of colour to the dark howl. The Puzzle Hall Inn may well of stood for some four centuries, but Super Fast Girlie Show have unleashed a sonic wrecking ball that has set about dismantling this place stone by stone.
Every song hits hard, however this is no mere exercise in noise creation. Tracks like 'Doley Boy', '1980's (This Ain't)' and 'Cheese' which is introduced as a tale of "buying weed in home town Kensington, Liverpool" are structured around rhythm. They literally bounce, within the sheer intensity of each track there is at its core a reassuring rock n' roll swagger; a swagger the crowd respond to, pushing forward getting closer to the noise...
'Mind Control', Pub Fight' and 'Stand Up' continue the attack as the band commend the craziness of the environment. Super Fast Girlie Show know how to perform and clearly enjoy doing just that; with gigs coming up in Liverpool, North Wales and Wellingborough, it may well be an opportune time to check out their noise.
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