The B of the Bang and Run Toto Run @ The Fat Fox 11th June 2009

This somewhat late review is testament to the fact that I've not been in a very musical frame of mind of late, but had a quick chance to go to my first (and thanks to the end of university, last) gig at the Fat Fox's live music night the Hong Kong Gardeners Club.

First up to an audience somewhere around eight, and almost begging them to come closer, was Lonely Joe Parker, whose solo acoustic set while entertaining, was largely forgettable. (This may also have been because it was about 2 weeks ago.)

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Next up were The B Of The Bang, launching their album at the show, and showcasing it at length. Amongst the folk-tinged tracks performed by the collective, they also held a meat raffle and had a full unplugged singalong in the front row. Decked out looking like Miami Vice, frontman Wit has the crowd in his hands for the entire set, stopping short of inviting the entire venue onstage.

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Eventually, to an unfortunately emptier room, Manchester's Run Toto Run commence their hastily re-scheduled gig. Their stripped down folktronica and determination to avoid anything largely resembling traditional rock instrumentation has found a fan in this reviewer. Where some bands use this multi-instrumentalsim as a pure gimmick, the violin and flute are used sparingly, almost leaving you begging for more. The only downside being new track "Full Stop", which largely sounds a like the soundtrack to a drunk clown falling down some stairs in a Chuckle Brothers' show. Apart from this there is more than enough here to sell me their EP, and expect a review of that here soon.

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