Review and Photos by Tony Gaskin



We’d been invited down to the O2 Academy tonight by headliners Drunk Lovers, Sinners and Saints (henceforth they shall be known as DLSS!), to celebrate the launch of their new EP, “Revolver”.

I definitely felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb with the average age being about 18!  I guess this was mainly down to the first two bands on tonight, the first of which was Dancing With Purpose, a young quartet from Bromsgrove.  A confident young band with a good selection of self-penned tunes in a catchy indie style of rock, the best of which was the track “Predictable”, with other standout tracks being “Sat Here Alone” and “Innocent”.

http://www.myspace.com/dancingwithpurpose

It’s great to see young bands who are confident enough with their talents to be able to get up and perform original material on a big stage, and that was also the case for second band up tonight, Latina Heat.

A Midlands-based five-piece, Latina Heat also show a confidence on stage which belies their youth.  They have an easy-going and comfortable stage presence as they belt out song after song of indie rock which is lapped up by the crowd.  Songs like “Pushing Daisies” and “Cigarettes & Coffee” go down especially well, but the standout track for me was “Nothing's Changed”. All-in-all a strong, energetic performance full of songs that could easily be radio material.

http://www.myspace.com/latinaheatuk

Now for something completely different!

A last-minute addition to the bill are Birmingham’s Captain Horizon, stalwarts of the local rock scene.  This was going to be interesting, I thought, because I’m familiar with Captain Horizon and wasn’t sure how they would go down with the crowd here tonight.

Captain Horizon are out and out Rock ‘n’ Roll - straight from the AC/DC school of rock, and put on a non-stop high octane show that wins over the young partisan crowd.  Front man Whitty soon has the kids dancing and head-banging and at one point vaults the crowd barrier to join them!   Although the first two bands put on strong sets, Captain Horizon show them how to put on a crowd winning show!

http://www.myspace.com/captainhorizon

For headliners DLSS, it was going to be tricky to come out and top that, but with their new EP to showcase and it also being vocalist Sally’s birthday they took the challenge full on and played a great set full of punchy pop-punk tunes.

These four accomplished musicians, lead by Sally on vocals, exude a wonderful stage presence which sets them apart from many bands out there at the moment. Combine that with some great songs like “Revolver” and “Paper Chains” and it’s hard not to see these guys progressing. They have ability, can write great songs and look fabulous, and with the right guidance and exposure 2010 could be an exciting year for them. We shall watch their progress here at Midlands Rocks with interest.

http://www.myspace.com/drunkloverssinnersandsaints