Oxford EP gig @ the Zodiac 15/01/00 featuring The Samurai Seven, Whispering Bob and Four Storeys

This launch gig held at the Zodiac seemed a bit silly at first sight. What was the point of a launch gig, held over a month after the EP was originally released, and anyway all four artists had performed on a less than sold out night at the Point at the time of the release. At first these worries seemed to be coming true. There were hardly anyone in the venue and the atmosphere was non existent. It made you long for the cosiness of the Point.

Four Storey's set didn't help much. The sound disappeared into the large airy room, and each song seemed to drag on longer and longer. There was the jangling of the guitar, and not that much entertainment.

The real surprise of the evening was Whispering Bob. They had started out from a similar point as the Four Storeys, but with 2 1/2 new members, all their songs had a totally new sound. You would expect that with a new lineup, they would be making more mistakes, and not be a tight as they were before, however this was the complete opposite. The songs had a new sense of energy, and urgency, about them, and this supported the overall more confident feel about the whole band.

By now the room was full of people, and suddenly there was a sense of excitement in the air (no doubt helped along by the strobe lighting and smoke machine etc.). The Samurai Seven was exactly what the crowd needed. Surely they deserve the fame and fortune that other less interesting bands have. The boys rose to the occasion playing each song with more energy than they ever had before (which would be difficult for them). The crowds had a reason to dance and mosh (something they were threatening to do even during Whispering Bob's set). There was even a mad bloke running up and down in front of the stage. Who needs Sex and Drugs when you have Rock and Roll!