Gig Review Komparrison Presents: Anti Valentine's Bash

Mal Lythe
Feb 17, 2020
3 min read

It was the night after Valentines Day and the band Komparrison put together an Anti Valentines gig for all to enjoy. This weekend also proved that even strong blizzards can't stop the local fans of live music from going out for a mint gig. I get to the venue and it was all very purple and nice and everyone was in great spirits. So I got my three Red Stripes for £10.00 that Base Camp offer and waited for the entertainment to start. The first band was a band that I have never seen before. Newcastle band The Samphires. They performed a set of Indie Alternative Rock songs. The first half of the set had a real nice sound to it filled with chilled grooves and soft harmonies. The second part felt more upbeat and catchy. But what I really liked about this band like is that they seemed to have an ability to stand out individually whilst staying true to the over all sound. The things the drummer was doing which shouldn't work but she makes work. I'd happily watch these again thy reminded me of bands like Peaness and Haim in a way. The second band of the night was another that I have never seen before and they were called Patience. The first song sadly had a few back issues which to the credit of the band didn't seem to faze them. But after that it was smooth sailing. They played a indie heavy set filled with catchy tunes that had a lot of people in the room up and dancing. It was like a mix of the 90's Brit Pop sound with a modern Indie twist. I can imagine that these would go down well at places like Ku Bar. Another band to check out again at some point. After them Charlotte Grayson was up with her band for the second ever time. They started with the song "Maybe". I'm very used to hearing Charlotte playing on her own so hearing the songs as a full band was quite fun. They sounded great and the band really added to the overall sound. With more gigs behind them I think they'll be no stopping them. Also as long as the overall band focus on all aspects of the music and one of the main things is Charlotte's ability to write a good story to go with the music. The harmonies between Charlotte and the guitarist is something I felt worked very well. She gave the band a break and played her song "Far Too Short" which as always was played with loads of emotion which translated well with the crowed. She finished with some of the upbeat songs. I felt that this is when the band was at it's strongest is when they performed upbeat tunes like "Tip Toe" and "Drunk Girls" An awesome set and I'm looking forward to seeing them develop as a band. I'll be supporting them very step of the way. We then were treat to a set from Teesside legends The Danny Kebabs. These guys always put on a great show that gives of a real DIY punk vibe. Music that is full of attitude and always gets people up and dancing along from start to finish. The last song that they performed they had Komparrison on stage joining in on the vocals. This gave the night the night that real Teesside spirit of bands on stage playing to keep the audience entertained. We then got to the headline act Komparrison who were playing as a full band and just like Charlotte it was for the second time. The backing band consisted of the three members of the first band The Samphires. The band gave the sound a more upbeat indie like feel. I'm very used to seeing them perform as a duo and I know each song quite well from seeing them perform as a duo. But I did get used to hearing them played in this new style as the set went on. They finished to McDonalds Drive Through which involved a bit of a stag invasion. Everyone in the room had a great time all night a great local gig that had five fantastic acts raising money for Charity. So absolute top work from everyone involved and also a shout out to Gareth Harrison who did class work as the nights host.

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