30 April 2005 (gig)
02 May 2005
As the crowd surged through the doors of the ULU one could have been excused for mistaking this as the latest in an increasingly more popular line of guerrilla gigs. In fact this was stop 3 on the ‘Carling Live 24 2005' extravaganza (supporting Babyshambles)and shortly after the doors were flung open at 2.30pm Hull five piece The Paddingtons took to the stage.
Drummer Grant knocked out the intro to ‘Tommy Gun' as fellow band members readied the instruments, hinting at what was to follow. First song 'Some Old Girl' left me with no doubt that these boys drank from the same murky pop/punk waters as did old school guttersnipes The Clash and Buzzcocks.
‘21' combined the edgy driven guitars and emotionally charged vocals of those obscure post punk new wave outer space melody men ‘Spizzenergy'. As the set progressed we were treated to stomping drumbeats and guitar riffs whose genesis could have hailed from a full frontal high-speed collision of The Strokes and Sham 69.
The Paddingtons deliver all the promise of a band ready to take on the world headfirst chew it up, spit it out and then kick it up the arse. The delinquent spirit they portray is a breath of fresh air in today's corporate industry. They are currently recording their debut album for Poptones with legendary producer Owen Morris (Oasis, ‘Definitely Maybe', ‘Morning Glory' & The Verve's ‘A Nothern Soul'). Watch this space.
