Sparta

It’s a tough gig being the sensible ones in a band fronted by complete mentalists. Jim Ward, Tony Hajjar and Paul Hinojos probably had it tougher than anyone else as the rhythm guitarist, drummer and bassist (respectively) in one of the most influential punk bands of the last twenty years, At The Drive-In. It says a lot about the sheer amount of chaos that they created that the only reason why their new band Sparta could ever be considered sedate is in comparison to them. On their own merits, Sparta are a seething, pummelling post-hardcore band whose sound, equally accessible and serrated, lends itself perfectly to the live arena, with Jim Wards given far more room to show off what an expressive and commanding voice he has than he ever did in his old band. The bands live performance is also far more focused than the band that they made their name in, which means that every performance they put in is passionate, intense and deeply exciting. Not to mention how this band remains very much a cult concern, so every show they put on is a chance to see some of the true pioneers of underground rock do what they do best mere metres away from your very eyes. The band are currently busy making their fourth album but once they return they’ll be better than ever and a truly unmissable sight for any fan of emotional, intelligent rock and roll.

As good as the supports were (I saw Hate Fuck and Petrol Girls), War On Women took things onto a whole new level.

I'd not seen them before and they didn't disappoint. When you go to watch a superior punk band there's a moment in every show when the band is about to start. It's like trundling slowly to the top of a rollercoaster, and waiting... waiting... waiting... and then GO! That was what War On Women were like - their soaring, incendiary chords were like that rollercoaster feeling.

They were hard, fast but also extremely entertaining both in their lyrics and the band's inter-song chat.

Cracking stuff.