Gig Reviews: Method.One, Karn8, Blind II Reality, Monokey @ Live at The Fez, Reading (12 March 2002)

by Gordon Tebbutt

This was a gig that I found myself enjoying immensely. There wasn't a single band playing here that I dismissed out of hand. That says something about the level of quality available to us on the night! After seeing all the bands, I would heartily recommend anyone to head on down to the Reading Fez club on a Wednesday to see any of the bands on offer, because from my experience tonight, you won't be disappointed! A good set of bands combined with a good crowd made for a thoroughly entertaining night!

Method.One

For a first band, Method.One interested me. They had a blend of metal that reminded me most recently of Fony. Their melodies mixed well with screaming and back to the melody. Unfortunately, like a lot of new bands that are around at the moment, their set did not seem to move the crowd. I put this down to them being the first band. Having said that the dreaded singer did well to scream his way into the crowds memories! I look forward to hearing more.

Karn8

Karn8 were my personal favourite of the night. Their style of distorted riffs, combined with sweet and sometimes raucous female vocals and an inspired drummer could not fail to move a static crowd. You cannot fail to sway your head to Karn8! They are a band that I most closely compared to Queen Adreena, and have a unique sound and repertoire that makes me yearn for more! Defiantely worth paying attention to! They are, so I'm told still playing in the local area so keep your eyes peeled!

Blind II Reality

This clearly hardcore metal inspired band seems to strive for something above their station (as do all bands?). An entertaining and yet somewhat lacking performance left me waiting for the next number. Maybe that's a good thing? Maybe it's not?. I enjoyed their set and enthusiastically joined in a crowd inspired mosh pit during one song. It seems that the crowd enjoyed Blind II reality's set as much as I found myself unsure. As far as I see it, being unsure about a local band means that I'm not going to pay more attention to them. Make sure that you make up your own mind. I did enjoy it, so if you so hear of them playing, they're worth a look!

Monokey

For a headlining (well ok last) band I expected more. Monokey seemed like they didn't want to be there. Their lineup and initial appearance made me expect more than I got. They started with some very entertaining PDHM style metal vibes, but quickly made me realise that they didn't have a lot more to offer than that. Screaming alone (and it was very good and well timed screaming) does not make a band. I'm not quite sure what was missing, but it was something vital. Maybe with new material they could achieve more. Having said that, again I have something positive to add. They did seem like the most together band of the night and, in my opinion the most likely to release the next Nu-Metal wonder track... Whether that's a good thing is up to you to decide.