WINOL first decent review

My first decent review made copy this Saturday. Despite the weather and my soaked clothes I braved it down to the Railway Inn to review this week's dire performance. Although I was soaked for the entire show, I did leave the venue with a sense of achievement and satisfaction as I knew exactly what I wanted to say in my review, and walked home writing sound bites on my phone so as not to forget.

For some reason I find it somewhat easier to write about something when i have distaste towards the subject matter. I think this is true with many people; there are only few ways to praise something but many ways to destroy it, or maybe that's just me. Also, I feel that the general public prefer a negative review to a positive - Don't ask me why. 

Although it's early days, WINOL seems to be great! I am relishing in my position as Commisioning Editor for Reviews and Previews, and wanna make it the best I can cos i bloody well want to keep it (although that won't happen). Below is my article.

On Friday, The Lonely Hearts Club at Winchester’s infamous Railway Inn played host to yet another up and coming band. Holdfast, a female fronted, post-punk four-piece headlined the stage tonight to a decent sized crowed, but why they had such a good turn out baffled me!

Holdfast resemble a poor man’s Blondie. Think Debbie Harry meets the Yeah Yeah Yeahs minus the crucial element of talent. Much of their sound consists of a peculiar mixture of dull electronic drone with glimpses of pop elation, which never manage to prevail. Their music is a cacophony of mundanity! 

BBC Introducing described the band as “It’s fast and it holds my attention. Driven post punk girlie groove thang”. These are merely observations, as a band with such dire musicianship does not warrant anything more than a one-dimensional analysis.

Despite their distinct lack of individuality, it is plain to see why these guys are becoming increasingly popular. Their style very much fits the criteria for today’s scenesters; appealing to people in their late teens who have yet to discover who they are, and relish in a band which they think can relate to the way they feel, even though they sound awful.

Credit where credit’s due, as a unit they were very tight, and for an unsigned band this is often a rare commodity. Furthermore, I must complement these guys on their energy and crowd interaction. They definitely managed to connect with, and create intimacy with the crowd, which so many playing at the Lonely Hearts Club do not manage to achieve. But I get the feeling that this intimacy is only superficial, as their music is not attractive and just mildly resembles the trendy music of today, which will almost certainly be forgotten tomorrow.