On 27 December 2018 I took a trip down to the Brass Monkey in Havelock Road, Hastings to have a listen to three young bands from the local area. Top of the bill on the night were a band that both Andy Gunton and I had featured on local radio. They are called Theta but more about them later.
Kicking off the evening were The Indie Project. An enthusiastic 3 piece who delivered a fast and furious 4 number set. They were well supported by the young audience and it will be interesting to see how they progress as they extend their repertoire. Just a quick note guys…make sure your sound is a little better balanced you seemed to be a bit over-drummed on the night. Having said that am looking forward to hearing you again and seeing how you progress.
Next up were Kadootje a post punk outfit fronted by 15 year old young lady called Safiya whose 13 year old brother Jasper is the lead guitarist and song-writer of the band. They were a step up musically from the opening act and Safiya was reminiscent of punk icons Siouxsie Sioux and PolyStyrene and she sometimes snarled her way through a pacey set. They are certainly a talented outfit and in Safiya they have a vocalist who brings a distinctive style to their music. I am hopeful that they will let me have some recorded stuff to share with you in the near future.
And so to the main event Theta. These boys are really talented. They are between 16 and 18 years old and describe, rather bravely, their influences as McFly and Busted. They are, however, a little edgier in sound than both those bands. They romped through a 45 minute set consisting of originals and covers including their most recent single Beauty and the Geek. I have had the pleasure of seeing the boys before and can report that they are a maturing band. They work hard and obviously enjoy their craft and will, hopefully, go from strength to strength. They are already on the radar of local promotions companies and you can expect to see the name THETA on posters as a support act at some of the town’s bigger venues and perhaps on local festival line-ups. Give yourself a treat and go and catch a gig.
Added here is there track Beauty and the Geek which will give you an idea of how they sound.
Tony Davis, 1066Sound
Coming soon from 1066sound.com
- The first Tony Davis Show
- Interviews with Hastings Band The Kavemen and their fans
- A chat with local all female band The Happy Maureens
- An interview with Craig (Messy) Devlin about the life of a promotor and musician