Locked inside a Gala bingo hall when all you can hear are disco hits going round and round is no place to be when Vex Red, Vacant Stare and Mantaquila are on stage in a matter of hours at The Fez club in the heart of Reading. With only a couple of hours to get there I have to escape and soon.

Fortunately for me it was all a dream, (but it could happen) and why do I always wake up just before I get a house? Anyway, nightmares aside tonight is a corking line-up.

Having seen Mantaquila before my preconception was that (in the words of Simon Cowell) they would be ‘distinctly average’ power chord type metal nonsense. But in fact tonight they lived up to the occasion (and the packed venue) and opened the evening well. Their performance while not scintillating was tight and their effort was well received and appreciated.

Vacant Stare however were in a different class, having signed to Copro records since I last saw them VS were better than ever giving a total show and the only dancing DJ in UK metal. VS are an excellent live band and their first album ‘Vindication’ released at the end of last month proves that they can cut it in the studio too. Excellent.

Vacant Stare certainly didn’t make it easy for Vex Red to follow but the sheer power of the VR sound was enough to blow the already crammed venue into chaos. This being a semi-local gig for VR the crowd was made up of a very BIG contingent of people who knew the band and even more people who had at some point bought a plectrum from Terry (vocals) when he worked in a music store.

Vex Red were on fine form and put on a great show, the highlights were definitely their singles ‘Itch’ and ‘Can’t Smile’ it would have been great if the vocals were a little clearer but then maybe I’m missing the point.

The Vex Red album ‘Start With A Strong And Persistent Desire’ is out now on Virgin.

‘Two fat ladies you and your mother……….Nooooooooooooooo’

Body Image by Pete Cole.