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Oxjam Scarborough ‘Youth Gig’ at the Rainbow Centre, Saturday 11th October.

The Rainbow centre, part of the mission of St Mary’s and Holy Apostles Anglican church, has for several years now been a community resource for issues such as rehabilitation, practical help for the homeless, emergency clothing and food parcels for those in crisis. On October 11th it played host to one of the events for Oxjam Scarborough, showcasing a number of musical performances. Rachel Mills reviewed some of the acts.

The venue was a typical British church hall, the kind of place you might have learnt to tie knots in as a young Brownie or Scout, or have perhaps visited to attend a jumble sale with your Nan. However, immediately upon arriving, I instantly picked up on a real and contagious buzz in the room. There were people of all ages distributed around the large hall, facing the stage and excitedly chattering whilst the next band sound checked.

Fat Spatula

After a short introduction, York based, self proclaimed ‘transatlantic guitar racket’, Fat Spatula launched into their set. With their pounding drums and frenetic vocals, the church hall pre-conceptions were soon dismissed. Within a few beats, people around the room left their seats and stood to attention. The band’s next offering, ‘Growing Boy’ was a slightly slower number, reminiscent of a much loved brand of early ‘noughties’ American pop- punk surf rock associated with bands like Sum41, Wheatus and Fountains of Wayne. Nick, the front-man utilised the pause between songs to reveal the heritage of each of the three band members, himself hailing from Ohio, America, which may explain the surf-rock noise and American vibes they exude.

The band know how to put together an effective set, alternating between heavy to more melodic; following this pattern, the third song, ‘Munchies’, was more punky. With reverberating guitar and persistent vocals, it was a short, intense song which left the audience yearning for more. True to form, the next tune ‘Mr Snitch’ again saw the pace slow slightly, with a strong melody singing out over the drums. Nick’s voice revealed a great range, akin to Placebo’s Brian Molko and almost verging on David Bowie-esque during the chorus.

Their penultimate song, ‘California Girl’, showcased their distinct surf-rock vibe while the melody had you swaying along. The chorus broke into a short but sweet bout of frenzied guitar with the vocals becoming equally as intense before the song fell back into the joyous sounding melody. The sound of the song seemed to encapsulate exactly what I imagine the West Coast of America to be like, having never been there. I loved the irony of the angry lyrics during the happy-go-lucky melody. That’s what makes this band entertaining, they clearly have a great sense of fun.

Fat Spatula finish as they started, with another loud one. ‘Code Blue’ was an energetic song with rhythmic drums and a relentless riff. The song finished on a sort of crescendo with Nick’s vocals exploding across the hall. With an ending like that, Fat Spatula leave a lasting impression, the kind of band you won’t forget in a hurry.

Callum Gibson

The next artist to grace the stage was local lad Callum Gibson. Callum’s performance was much anticipated; he came on stage to a chorus of cheers, clearly having a number of fans in the room. Callum’s covers comprised an absorbing range of genres. The first was the Black Eyed Peas’ hit, ‘Where is the Love?’, featuring accomplished, tender guitar playing and vocals that were rich with emotion. Callum perfectly captured the uplifting melody of the song.

For Bastille’s ‘Pompeii’ the guitar was bouncy and accented, and it was sung with passion and a rawness that certainly replicated the power of the original track. To follow was song of the moment by the Ginger-haired, ballroom dancing heart-throb, Ed Sheeran, ‘Thinking Out Loud’. This was a real crowd pleaser, a tricky song to do justice, but Callum did an excellent job with his solid guitar and heart-felt vocals.
This merged seamlessly into a smooth, tuneful, soulful song, which I didn’t recognise. The guy next to me, beaming with pride, told me “That’s one of his own”. I was impressed.

Callum finished his set with a sing-along, ‘All About You’ by Mcfly. This was an excellent choice to finish, the song perfectly suited his voice. The addition of bold guitar created a combination which effortlessly got the whole room toe-tapping.

Callum is an extremely talented young man, with heaps of potential. Not only delivering great cover versions, he clearly has a talent for song-writing. The only thing lacking was the confidence to interact with the crowd between songs, which should come naturally with a few more opportunities to perform such as this. Definitely one to look out for in the future.

System Paralysis

During a slight interval, the disco lights were adjusted, beaming bright in anticipation of the next act, System Paralysis, who had travelled all the way from Hull to play at Oxjam. They surge on to the stage and launch into their own brand of hardcore ska / punk rock. The thing that was really exciting and thrilling about watching these guys play was the way in which their songs swerved between styles. One minute you’re skanking along to the bouncy ska rhythm, next you’re head-banging to some heavy screamo. The whole set is filled with songs which seamlessly switch and transcend genres, the vocals range from being reminiscent of classic punk like the Clash, touching on classic metal like Iron Maiden, to having a more modern hardcore twang.
The music progresses between styles so effortlessly that you can’t help but be transfixed by their music. The band also command a strong stage presence, the three piece exuding energy. Front-man Ollie’s power stances are certainly the best I’ve seen in a while.

System Paralysis are the kind of band that seem to take influences from all over the place, the kind of band that don’t want to be pigeon-holed, they just play what sounds good. If you’re into Ska or metal music or just enjoy trying something different, then I’d definitely suggest you catch these guys play.

Active Minds

The next band continued the ‘loud and intense’ theme. Veteran hardcore punk rockers hailing from Scarborough, in the almost thirty years that Active Minds have been playing together they have expanded their fan base across Europe. Having played to huge crowds across the continent, it’s an honour to see them play in a small church hall today for a good cause. The duo strode on to the stage and assumed their positions; you could tell they have done this hundreds, if not thousands, of times before.

The pair thundered into action. In a sort of ‘the kind of thing that might happen in Spinal Tap’ irony, there is a bit of commotion when the band start to play – it is thought that they might be too loud for young ears. Thankfully anyone under the age of 16 seems safely equipped with earplugs, so we can all enjoy the intensity and raw energy that the band drench the room with.

The pair are incredibly tight performers, the crashing drums perfectly in time with the screaming guitar and masterfully punctuated by powerful vocals. These guys make me feel as though I’ve been transported back in time, to an era when ‘punk’ really meant ‘punk’. There was no talking between songs, the pair just travelled from song to song dishing out anarchic lyrics in full throttle. Seeing Active Minds play is less like watching a performance, more like witnessing a phenomenon: you have to see them to understand what I mean!

 

The great thing about Oxjam is the genuine mix of genres showcased in the space of a few hours. Although I could not attend the whole of this all-dayer, I wanted to share some information about the other acts who gave their time and talent for the Oxjam Fundraiser, as everyone who came out to entertain us and raise money for a great cause deserve a mention and big thanks.

Summertime Secrets are a Scarborough acoustic pop duo, comprising of Jakey Newton on guitar and vocalist Chloe Robinson-Coleman: these guys offer silky smooth vocals and beautiful guitar; on YouTube you can see them do some brilliant covers of well known tunes.

Nocturnal Dictionary are a group of talented musicians from Whitby. The band’s arrangement includes a variable mixture of french horn, saxophone, fiddle, drums and guitar. They sound at times jazzy, at times psychedelic, and at times have a distinct Radiohead-style melancholy to their sound. They have been likened to British Sea Power and early Velvet Underground – an interesting band to look out for.

Kids in Cloud, Smif Da Mista, Unlikely Outcasts and Kinnerz – unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be anything about any of these guys on the internet yet. However, I was told that everyone had been amazed by the talent throughout the afternoon, so hopefully there’ll be chances to see them play again somewhere soon!

Cheidu Oraka, up and coming 26-year-old rapper from Hull, finished the evening. I’ve caught up with his music on YouTube; his latest track is ‘Abstract Reality’, with lyrics that are cool and well written, poetic but gritty, genuine and unpretentious. The vibe of the track is reflected by a slick video – featuring a Wetherspoon’s breakfast on an ornate blue plate, it’s a perfect metaphor to accompany the intention of the lyrics. The video is low-fi and artfully shot, emphasising the tempo of the track. It’s absorbing to watch and listen to, I highly recommend it. Cheidu’s mini-bio describes that he is ‘hungry for success and won’t stop until he reaches it’. With his talent and charisma I feel confident he can achieve this. I’m just gutted I missed the chance to see him in such an intimate venue.

I’d like to finish with a big thank you to the Oxjam team. Without some very committed people co-ordinating and organising it all, the event simply could not have happened. Not only did Oxjam gather Scarborough artists to play, we were privileged to have artists come from further afield to entertain us and support the cause. The only slight disappointment I had was that there weren’t more people in attendance to take advantage of and enjoy this great line up. Events like this are a brilliant opportunity to listen to a variety of extremely talented musicians and support charities. Featuring such an eclectic mix, there really was something for everyone.

Yorkshire Coast Gigs will also be featuring photos from some of the other Oxjam events online soon.