CYAN KICKS, HIGH REGARD & READ THE ROOM
High energy pop-metal: entertaining and fun and exhausting.
Heading to a gig where the bands may not be to my usual tastes but my interest has been piqued can have mixed results. For every Dinosaur Jr, of Montreal, Molotov Jukebox or Self Esteem I have discovered, there have been many less satisfying experiences. So, it is with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation that I head down to the Waterfront Studio for an evening of pop-metal...
Norwich’s own READ THE ROOM open proceedings with hints of Paramore plus a touch of the lighter end of nu-metal/rap metal. They also remind me of the less ridiculous end of hair metal (Vain, Shark Island) and that point in the late 80s/early 90s when alt.rock and metal started cross-pollinating (Big F, Nymphs). I suspect that is down to some kind of convergent evolution and Read The Room will have no idea who those bands are. Whatever, the cover of Maneater shows that a good cover doesn’t have to be better than the original, just different. If I’m being brutally critical, Read The Room can be bit chuggy, a bit pedestrian but there is certainly promise here and I look forward to charting their development.
Hertfordshire’s HIGH REGARD are the main tour supports. The black and neon green stage wear suggests rave but this is a high energy metallic attack with dashes of pop-punk. The sound is not great: the guitar is too quiet whilst the drums and, particularly, cymbals threaten to overpower everything except the vocals. I can’t really form a view on the music but the vocals are great and the high energy performance was good to watch.
In many ways, Finland’s CYAN KICKS are the antithesis of what I expect musicians to stand for. Singer Susanna Alexandra was a contestant on the Norwegian version of Pop Idol and the band have entered the competition to be Finland’s Eurovision entry more than once...
A rave adjacent intro tape leads into a big rock opening. Alexandra is kitted out like a mix of Cherrie (Runaways) Currie and Britney in the Hit Me… vid. Guitarist Niila Perkkiö and bassist Leevi Erkkilä bass are rocking a camp Eurovision-meets-Judas Priest look, the former in sparkly pleather and studs, the latter in pleather shorts and Stormzy-at-Glasto style stab-proof vest. Cyan Kicks are trying to put on an arena rock show in the Waterfront Studio which is admirable but maybe a little tragic given that this is, frankly far from sold out. But hey, giving it their all in these circumstance is far, far better than throwing a sulk because of the small crowd and putting in a substandard set to those that have made the effort and paid their money!
The stage attire gives a good indication of the sound: Eurovision-meets-metal. The heavier elements take in Turbo-era Judas Priest, early W.A.S.P and Scorpions along with Måneskin and The Rasmus. The lighter, poppier elements reference Aqua, Eiffel-65 and eurohouse. Just when I think it can’t get any camper, there’s a dance section that is almost more Confidence Man than Confidence Man. Then there is Alone, an 80s hair metal powerballad given a 21st century makeover.
The band play for about 80 minutes. As high energy but unchallenging fun as it is, it is all rather exhausting, a bit one dimensional and rather cartoony. Based on tonight’s performance, the best way to experience Cyan Kicks might be a shorter support slot or mid-afternoon festival set. That said, the crowd may have been small but it enthusiastic and at least one person had travelled having seen them on the tour already, so what do I know?
