1st impression of the Montague with its flags, stuffed animal heads, dark ambience...stop press**The DJs are playing Daisy Chasinsaw's Love Your Money while Arko Volcano tune up - top drawer.

Anyway, back to my initial impressions of the M. Arms, let's put it this way, if they want to do Pirates of the Carribean the Musical, this is the place! All they need is buxom wenches serving brown ale, cutlasses, scurvy and they're quids in!

In comparison to venues like New Cross Inn and the The Social to name but two, The Arms seems more suited to live performances, good stage, good sound, good standing room space with seats at the side. Don't have to navigate from A to B with a pint in your hand by holding your stomach in,

The Stooges' I wanna be your dog, 30 seconds of, via the DJs before Arko Volcano launch into their soundcheck - damn!

Jamie, The Volcano's singer is blatantly what Neil from the Young Ones would have looked like when he was at Secondary School while taking mock exams. He has the walk, the hair, the clothes, the gormlessness**stop press The Dead Boys' Sonic Reducer is now blaring through the speakers. The DJs must have been tipped off that I was coming and selected their playlist accordingly.

21:20 Arko Volcano take to the stage for their performance with their fans in tow and at the front. They kick off with 'See & Drown', which opens with a riff that leads into fast pace intense rock 'n' roll.

They then perform the 1st song they ever wrote (didn't catch the title), starts of with a melodic opening but within 30 second, music jumps in its Ferrari and off it goes with the top down and the Police in hot pursuit! With Jamie wailing at the top of his voice aided and abetted by Sean their guitarist This song's powerful.

Next song, which could be any of these from their now available E. P.

Track Listing:
1 - No Retreat! No Surrender!
2 - Welcome To The Family
3 - See Them Drown
4 - Ninja Pirates From Hell
5 - Scared Of Spiders

....has an atmospheric opening followed by the Drummer showing off his peradiddle skills. I'm expecting the song to go violent mode as the precedent has been set by their previous offerings but it doesn't and all the better for it, best song in their Arsenal. Really nice change of tempo, shows the band can switch up styles.

Next song, again from the E.P. ups the tempo seguing into a nice funky change of tact (rythm section really work well with each other) when they take the tempo down before upping the speed and off the music goes - turbo! Jamie's banshee hysterics on the microphone which ends the song leads to a solitary line of blood trickling down my left ear, such is the volume of angst / pain / yearning in his voice.

People who were at the show might disagree with me but I found myself wanting to Play Iron Maiden's Stranger in a Strange Land and Jane's Addiction / Porno for Pyros Albums after witnessing the Arko whose solid performance albeit in a raw, uncut form, remind me of said bands.

1 thing, singer alternated between admiring the interior / ceiling of the M. Arms and closing his eyes. Agi the bassist concentrated her view on the singer, if she wasn't doing that then she was looking at her handiwork on the fret. Only Sean the guitarist had the confidence to establish eye contact with the crowd. Although saying that in between songs Jamie did interact with those at the front. knowing all of them probably helped but that's by the by.

22:15pm Striker take to the stage. The ladies make an effort satorially unlike the boys who look like it was their 1st day of freedom after doing bird in Feltham...isn't that always the way.

Opening up with 'Stupid Dew' (methinks - apologise if I get the title of songs wrong. Wax city in my ears). The band perform as if it is a sold out show at The Forum, in spite of there being a poor turnout. It's a shame really. £3, good venue, good music but like I said, that doesn't stop singer Quita shaking what her mama gave her. Cocky and sassy with it and adopting rock star poses to boot...cashback!!

'These Days' starts off with short shouts / yelps followed by Ev the guitarist slashing away at his chords, eases down for a quick melodic break, ups the tempo, back down to riff mode before building up again to fever pitch, acappella, then revs up, then all the band join in and climax is acheived...aahh.

'Helicopter', rauchy, raucous  rock 'n' roll nuff said.

Next song kicks off with a waltz tempo, Charly the bassist informs us is a slow song but is a lie as within a minute, another musical hand grenade is thrown. Music is cranked up to 11 and Quita singing at the top of her voice and then slow and then fast and then slow and then the end so I'll say Charly was half lying.

'Spooky Loser', now that's a slow song. Cymbals led then guitar comes in with a steady grooving rythm section holding the song down. Doesn't last long which has you wanting to hear more but the best songs tend to be like that and this was the ace out of all their cards.

All in all, £3 well spent,  justified my decision to brave the rain and venture out.

Yours MV: Co f C C

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