Because of the buzzing nature of the Leeds scene, which continues to throw out exciting acts, some of which break on through, others of which are criminally ignored out of their hometown, the York scene receives scant coverage, and you might be forgiven for being ignorant of the fact there even is a scene in York. But believe it or not, York doesn't begin and end with Shed 7, with footnotes granted to One Night Only and Eliot Minor, and tonight's lineup is a worthy showcase of the talent that the city has produced in recent years. It's perhaps not surprising, then, that there are so many recognisable faces in the crowd.
All three of the bands on the bill could, and probably should, be massive, and in a just world, would be. 98 Pages are a band that can be relied on to deliver solid performances, and make no mistake, they know how to rock. Putting the power in power trio, they rip through a tight set, cranking out their brand of low down 'n' dirty blues rock boogie with gusto. It's raucous and dynamic, the thunderous basslines laying down a heavy groove that's hard to resist. It's a pity that the sound lets them down. And the lighting.
Having been switched from the Duchess, just around the corner, to Fibbers at relatively short notice, the recently-refurbished venue is clearly geared toward clubbing. The much hyped 'neon raft' and the bar, which is strictly bottles and shooters, no pumps whatsoever, are a dead giveaway.
But that's not half of it. Having killed the first PA brought in by the new owners, during soundcheck Oceansize were forced to cancel their gig at the venue a few months ago. The new PA seems equally ill-equipped to handle proper live music played at the appropriate volume. As a consequence, it's not loud enough and the sound is as muddy as hell. To make matters worse, strobes in the ceiling are stuck in the 'on' position, firing light onto the crowd at random.
Cardboard Radio split a few years ago, having gigged harder than would appear humanly possible: tonight's gig is a one-off reunion, and its great to see them. Well, for the most part, although at one point midway through their set, the venue was plunged into complete darkness. And the band played on! A truly heroic feat.
They certainly look to be enjoying themselves, and despite the abysmal sound quality, manage to get the crowd pretty revved up with their rambunctious, cranked-up take on rocked-up blues-based indie with attitude and cowbells galore, blasting out gems like the sneering 'Too Sick to go to the Dogs' and the wry and rockin' 'If I Turned Up At My Door, I Wouldn't Let Me In'. They sign off by handing out boxes of unsold CDs and 7" singles, gratis. And no, I never turn down free stuff.
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The reason tonight is special is because it marks The Federals' final show. After building a respectable cult following and a number of high-profile fans, they're sadly calling it a day. And while the set does delve into the back catalogue, aside from the funeral black attire sported by the band members, it's more of a party than a sad farewell. The lousy PA isn't such an issue for the Feds - reunited with their original guitarist to expand the lineup to a three-guitar assault - scuzzed-out garage rock is supposed to sound rough and raw (even if the equalization should preferably favour the toppier end of the sonic spectrum, rather than the lower frequencies).
The songs are short, fast and brash (in the best possible sense), and it's truly exhilarating. They're joined toward the end by 98 Pages' Martyn Fillingham, bringing the guitar count to four for a rabble-rounsing rendition of The Beatles' 'Helter Skelter'. Things soon get pretty crowded on-stage as it's invaded by other members of the support acts, with Cardboard Radio and another local legend, GT Turbo providing jubilant backing vocals. Fan-fucking-tastic!
T-shirts and CDs are dispatched from the stage, and proceedings are brought to a suitably frenetic climax with 'Transistor 1969.' It's absolutely blistering, and illustrates perfectly why The Federals have earned a reputation for being one hell of a live act. There's no encore. Nostalgia's for pussies. Thank you, and goodnight.
The Federals on MySpace
Cardboard Radio on MySpace
98 Pages on MySpace
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