On the night that Arsenal were losing out on penalties in the Champions League final, BOBI brought another night of mixed musical mania to Boston. Showcasing three very different acts, as is the BOBI way, the twenty fifth gig got underway at a nicely busy Black Sluice Lock Cottages.

SPEKKOIDS, the Skegness Punk Rockers, who formed from the ashes of the regrouped UK82 unit Post Mortem, kicked the evening off in fine style. The Spekkoids' sound is very much rooted in the classic 77 sound and some big clanging riffs reinforced this, bringing to mind the Pistols, though later, Post Punk influences – Joy Division, Killing Joke – were also evident, not to mention a Post Mortem number reminding us of their roots. What makes Spekkoids so unique in an overly crowded genre however, is Carlton’s vocals, which eschew the usual angry, young man shouting the odds style in favour of actually singing. Like, properly singing. It takes a while to get used to but once you do, it gives Spekkoids a very different sound, almost like if The Associates or some other New Wave band started playing Punk Rock. Great stuff and there’s a demo on the way.

Next up were HEDGEHOG REALITY, everyone’s favourite duo and one half of the BOBI crew, with their eclectic, feel good Pop tunes. Terry and Liz, plus a backing track, trade in unashamedly Pop-tastic fare with a mix of kitchen sink drama and life’s like that observations. A few of the old favourites are still in the set – “Pheromone Girl” in particular – but there’s been a move in recent Hedgehog Reality activity to a broader sonic palette with plenty of 80's style synthy Pop moments and tonight was no different.

Feel good Pop on a summer evening and there was more to come with the return of Joaquin, a talented local singer songwriter, who has been with BOBI since the very start, playing gig #1, with Newsom. Nowadays, Joaquin can be found as one third of the youthful, and musically adventurous, trio PURE HONEY who showcase well crafted Indie Rock tunes. The sound these three make is very evocative of the more epic end of the Indie canon with an emotive, whole hearted and, well, BIG sound. Playing a set that took us on a journey through their influences, I thought I could spot evidence of, variously, Snow Patrol, Oasis, Radiohead, maybe a bit of the more tune heavy side of Grunge/Alt Rock and even a cheeky bit of Stooges. The rascals! You can see Pure Honey playing out on a regular basis around the Boston area and I’d recommend you do if you are a fan of soaring Indie tuneage. So, there we have it, our run of Springtime gigs at Black Sluice Lock Cottages has been most successful and we look forward to returning in the Autumn as BOBI’s base of operations moves back to Blackfriars for the summer months.

[Photos by BOBI resident photographer Graham Campling.]

[Review by Marv Gadgie (Gadgie Zine)]