Helmets For Men (Part 5).

by JC. 08.08.10.

And so the Helmets For Men phenomenon rolls on. Saturday night saw the fifth outing of H4M and its aim of bringing quality music to Salford venues as well as showcasing Salford bands is working a treat. Build it... and they will come.

On the bill for this one were Pearl Divers, The Jannocks and The Janice Graham Band.

Pearl Divers are an odd bunch- they look like the first five blokes in the queue at the checkout on a late night Asda shopping trip. In other words, they look like a randomly selected cross-section of British society (well, at least the male half of it). And this is reflected in their curious but interesting batch of songs, mixing the elegiac with the urban, punctuated with out and out stomping singalong-ers.

After that your narrator popped down to the bar for a quick pint and was shocked to discover on his return that the concert room was packed to the rafters. Honestly. I had to scale the tables at the back of the room to try and get a decent photograph of The Jannocks on stage- and as you can see- I didn't succeed. This was their last EVER gig and you can read a proper review of it here on Bob Osborne's excellent Aural Delights website/blog thingy.

And so to the final act, the top of the bill, the main turn: The Janice Graham Band. Many people have been telling me for ages that this band are brilliant and the next big thing etc to such an extent that I was genuinely hoping that they were going to be shite. This is what life is like when you're a contrary bastard. Unfortunately, I was bitterly disappointed. They were absolutely bang on the money, tighter than two coats of paint and laden with catchy hooks and youthful exuberance. An excellent end to the evening and a triumph for all concerned in promoting this event. More please!