Gob on you
Last year Spit Like This were an unknown, unsigned band that went down extremely well here. This year most have heard of them (& if they haven’t the band’s own publicity campaign ensures they soon will) and they are now signed to Transcend with their debut album garnering some good reviews.
Opening the second stage it seems that the publicity has worked as there’s a pretty big crowd in for a midday set. Clashing with Beholder over on the third stage means we miss the first 20 minutes, arriving mid way through their cover of ‘Sweet Transvestite’, which I didn’t like last year and it still hasn’t grown on me! Their own material is glam rock with a touch of horror and is as much about the stage show and the performance as the tunes. This is just as well really as I’m still unconvinced about the strength of their material. I seem to be in the minority however as the crowd give them a great reception.
The performance is well worked and engaging, bassist Vikki never stops working it and vocalist Lord Zion, whilst not having the best voice has something about him that makes him eminently likeable. He engages with the crowd at every opportunity, sometimes it doesn’t quite work but for the main he does it well. The highlight of the set is ‘Sex, Drugs & Heavy Metal’ during which they are joined on stage by a fire twirler and some kind of angle grinding goblin! It’s all good fun and it’s clear that they really believe in what they’re doing. They get a good reaction from the crowd and have probably boosted their stock once again. Entertaining but not really my cup of tea.