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Cyb3rnator EP Release show @ Basement, Bridlington – 7.2.14

Featuring Tom Ussher, Adaimia, Spekulus, and Cyb3rnator

The majority of gigs I have attended so far at Basement (formerly Shades) have been very metal-oriented, so when the chance came to take in a mixed night of acoustic, electronica, industrial and dubstep, I took it straight away.

Acoustic support came from Tom Ussher, a musician who had travelled all the way from London to join us. Known also as the frontman for Tyrian and drummer for The Cockrockets, multi-instrumentalist Tom brought an animated performance full of emotion. Armed only with an acoustic guitar and a microphone, he blasted through a selection of tracks from his self-produced album, ‘Open’, on which he also plays bass and piano. Alongside this we were treated to a snippet of brand new material, and power-packed covers of ‘Otherside’ and ‘Wicked Game’, both versions completely unlike any I’ve heard before.

Also making an appearance was an acoustic version of a Tyrian song, meriting a guitar solo in a metal style and creating the necessity to wheel myself onto the dancefloor. Tom’s set was entertaining, passionate and engaging for the crowd. His songs were melodic, intense, musically interesting and relatable. His album is now available on itunes, Amazon, and from Tom himself if he happens to be around!

Next on the bill was Scarborough-based electronic musician Adaimia. A veteran of Scarborough’s Cardboard Cyborg amongst other things, Adaimia brought crunchy basslines, catchy synth riffs and drumbeats guaranteed to make you want to move. The set was made up of cleverly done electro covers of some well known tunes, including a very steppy version of ‘The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’, a top notch reworking of AWOL Nation’s ‘Sail’, and a remix of the main theme from The Legend of Zelda certain to bring a smile to any geek’s face. The mid-set crossovers between electro, dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass made Adaimia’s music fit right in with current popular styles, while containing a little something innovative to make them completely new and special. Adaimia’s set gelled perfectly with the material of Spekulus and Cyb3rnator; rumour has it that Adaimia and Cyb3rnator may share a bill sometime in the near future.

Third on the bill were South Yorkshire based Spekulus, playing their third Bridlington gig. Consisting of guitar, vocals, synth and keys, female-fronted Spekulus took the stage with bucketloads of oomph. The band identify themselves as metal/industrial, but personally, I could see how perfectly their sound overlapped with the other electronic acts of the night. The lead singer, Amanda, was full of energy, enthusiasm and humour as she belted out song after song. The incredibly fast-paced set had overtones of gothic eerieness in the keys and synths, and the general feeling was heavy and intense (despite the guitarist having to play a guitar fixed hastily with duct tape).

The set also featured a cover of ‘Wish’ by Nine Inch Nails, and possibly the best encore I have ever witnessed, an all-out industrial metal version of ‘The Hokey Cokey’, which was frankly just perfect and really showcased the band’s sense of humour. Spekulus have already released two albums and are due to be signed in the near future.

The night’s headliners, and indeed the reason for the whole show, were three piece Cyb3rnator, heralding the release of their new EP ‘The Dancing Plague of 1518’. For the purposes of this show, Cyb3rnator played through their entire EP, which is well worth obtaining. The tracks are upbeat, catchy, well composed and impossible not to dance to, with a good heavy bass and a delightful use of various electronics, including a Gameboy. The vocals from female lead Katherine are powerful and engaging to listen to, and blend beautifully with the band’s clubby electro feel.

As a live act the group were enthusiastic and energetic, and got plenty of involvement from the audience. The setup was a sight to behold, with a wide line of guitar pedals to one side, and a table covered with indiscernible pieces of technology and wires to the other. The tracks from ‘The Dancing Plague of 1518’ had a feel-good vibe alongside bass and synths that any dubstep fan can’t help but fall in love with – the EP is now available on itunes and to buy in hardcopy.

Some may have looked at the given genres of the bands for this gig and been sceptical about how well it would work. I however enjoyed every moment of it, and thought the line-up came together perfectly.

Basement may be small, but it is most certainly not to be underestimated!