The Hot Lies, The GetawayPlan, No Quarter @ NewcastleLeauges Club, (13/07/06)

Sun 16th Jul, 2006 in Gig Reviews

Everything was right. The lighting made the perfect mood. The sound was well-wired and loud, but not deafening. Merch stalls were set up, and beer was being sold. But there was no audience.

As No Quarter took the stage, a few people came leaking in. There was no queue for beer, there was no squash to get to the front. The few watching looked confused. Nobody knew if lead singer Chris Ryan was serious as he put on a voice identical to Billy Joel Armstrong and announced “Fuck You America” after playing a song which made the few audience members sure they were at a good ol’ 1990s skater punk gig.

A few more people arrived, by this time No Quarter were in full throttle punk rocking’ and everything still felt right, the few audience members were sure more punters would rock up.

The Getaway Plan took the stage next, and did what they always do: scream through their fringes, thrash through instrumentals and show that they are there to entertain their audience. Usually when the stage lights drip sweat down The Getaway Plans’ foreheads, there is about one thousand kiddies at their feet and everybody croons along to ‘The New Year’. But tonight, while Matt White could be seen castrating his right arm with a microphone, only one pair of polka dot-clad admirers could be seen staring wistfully upward. The atmosphere was still rightfully rocking’, both the band and the audience were ignoring the empty hall and really getting into the songs.

Ever since the Bullets and Blacklines E.P burst onto the radio in 2004, The Hot Lies have had an ever growing fan base which usually will always come out of hiding on a rainy night to be seen representing. A few did. It was worth it. The Hot Lies played a heap of songs from their latest EP Heart Attacks and Callous Acts. The scatter of faces nodded along enthusiastically and a few girls got their dance on down the front. Weather you knew the most popular song ‘Ghosts and Mirrors’ or not was irrelevant. The Hot Lies proved they could hold an audience, for those who knew nothing of the band, a superb rock cover of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ broke everybody’s rigid head nodding into arm flailing dancing.

The sound was great. In the Newcastle sound room, the ceiling is not too high and the performers are never too far away from the audience. Tonight the music could be felt pulsing through the floor, but it remained crisp, it was a pleasure to feel the excitement and listen to a well plugged setup.

The Hot Lies had great stamina on stage, they took only short breaks and were really moving around like fleas in a kinder gym. Pete Wood showed off the ultimate front man skill: he made every audience member think that he was divulging deep emotions to them, through genuine eye contact and animated stance. The rest of the band stood behind him and followed the code of conduct for any emo/punk rock band and spread an infectious sense of adrenaline pushing joy.

However, the most noticeable thing about The Hot Lies is they way they work together, they look like mates on stage but they also all take a different stance and make sure that everybody is entertained. To be able to bear your soul while entertaining an audience, no matter how big or small takes talent, that’s no hot lie.