On the surface, Silicon Kid appear to be a band that have it all. They peddle an extremely listenable brand of Coldplay/Radiohead/younger Buckley influenced rock, they’re accomplished musicians, they look good, and in the dark guttural vocalisms of beardy Will Knox they possess a frontman with genuine presence and charisma. I know all this because I’ve seen them before, and I like them. Unfortunately, anyone at Monkey Chews last Thursday wouldn’t have had a clue about any of this because the sound was so fucking shit.

The second gig after their return from a 6 month sabbatical, during which they accrued a new member in keyboard player Chris Goddard and apparently explored a new high tempo electro-inspired direction, was supposed to be a chance for them to showcase these changes. Unfortunately, due to the sound being so bad (so bad that Knox in a flush of frustration felt compelled to welcome the crowd to ‘the worst fucking gig ever’), the only songs that got the packt-like-sardines-in-a-crushed-tin-box crowd properly moving were their older tunes. Fortunately, they’ve got a few barnstormers that could quite easily bother the charts given some solid backing. Early lip-trembler ‘By The Light Of A Silvery Moon’ grabbed me by the knackers immediately , sounding like the more sedate moments of Jeff Buckley. ‘Liberty Candle’ was excellent as it as the last time I saw them whilst 'Horror Colours', with it’s wailed refrain of ‘it’s all getting out of hand’, was far too powerful a tune to be unduly worried by a dodgy speaker.

Ending with‘Baggage Drowned’, with its unforgettable riff inspired by Radiohead’s ‘I Might Be Wrong’ (turned up to 11, mind) meant that the gig finished on a high note with bodies rockin’ and fingers pointin’, and the band at last managed to crack a few smiles. Speaking to them afterwards one sensed that they viewed this gig as an opportunity missed, albeit one they could do nothing about. Luckily they’ve got a lot of gigs lined up over the next couple of months as they play at all the more important venues across the capital in their pusuit of a record deal. They seemed determined to make up for this gig and put right what they saw as a sonic injustice and I, for one, have confidence a’plenty that they will do so

Pictures by Chris Daffin- http://www.myspace.com/chrisdaffin

Posted In Live Reviews, Oct 15 2008. Words - Terry