The Portsmouth Music Scene.  What music scene, one may ask.  Well, since the dawn of rock music, Portsmouth has had little more to offer to popular music than Manfred Mann, The Cranes and one half of Tears For Fears.  Hell, even that guy with the slap bass from Level 42 was from the other side of the Solent on the Isle of Wight...  On exploring the city of Portsmouth, comparisons can easily be made with Manchester: a dense population, many working class jobs and industries, ugly buildings slowly being demolished and transformed into cosmopolitan and modern complexes.  In Manchester, the underlying sense of deprivation once present in the area became the fuel for the fire of creativity that spawned numerous classic rock and pop bands.  Conversely, in Portsmouth that exact same sense of worthlessness has for decades created merely indifference and jealously.  Perhaps it is the close proximity to London causing this indifference: in northern England, a gig in London is more than a couple of hours in a transit away, so music fans created their own scene.  In the south, any band wishing to cut their teeth in the music business is obliged to take the short trek to Capital City to make a name for themselves.  The chances of any record company employees even setting foot in Hampshire to see a band are minimal.

As with anywhere, Portsmouth has it's fair share of fine musicians, but the cynicism, negativity and jealousy that they face from others when gaining the slightest of recognition is overwhelming.  A refreshing change to attend tonight's gig then: a Saturday night (good - no getting up early the next day) at the well-respected Wedgewood Rooms, arranged by Portsmouth band Ricky to coincide with their signing to Superior Quality Recordings.  By all accounts, Ricky dealt with the hiring of the venue, then very unselflessly invited three other local bands to play in a showcase promoting what talent the city does have.

First up were The Lazys, and an accurate picture of this act's style was hard to ascertain due to the vocalist Juliette being elsewhere attending a wedding.  Guitarist Lazy took over vocal duties for some jangly-sounding indie-pop, but (by his own admission) struggled to hit some of the highs that the regular vocalist is probably capable of.  If The Lazys are serious about dipping their toes into the music scene's waters, one must question their commitment if going to a wedding is deemed more important than performing at the Wedgewood Rooms.  Same applies even if it perhaps was her own wedding!

The evening gets interesting when Echobeat take to the stage.  There seem to be many different influences present in their songs, with an extremely confident frontman in Lee Normalsell.  If moody, brooding guitar music from the same camp as 'The Second Coming' and Muse is your forte, then this would have been your favourite band of the night.  Mike Stoddard proves himself a more than capable guitarist with a flank of effects pedals to enhance his playing, Paul Spicer pummels the drums to within an inch of their life (disconnecting the bass drum from the kit, as it makes a last-ditch bid to join the audience) while vocalist Lee takes a stand-up sauna on this sweltering evening.  Judging by Echobeat's demo CD they handed out at this show, they really pack their punch when playing live.  With the right producer, they may well be able to emulate that energy in their recorded output.

Most musicians learn their trade by imitating their idols.  While Noel Gallagher no doubt strummed through Beatles tunes in his youth, many bands these days practice tunes penned by Oasis while dreaming of life on the stage.  Drivin South are one such band.  While learning to play as band, sounding like another act is no bad thing.  Early Muse material owed much to Radiohead's 'The Bends' just as The Cooper Temple Clause were hard to distinguish from Oasis on their first album - particularly in the vocal department.  Both these bands, however had the vision to widen their influences and adapt their sound enough to become more than just an imitation of artists they loved.  While it's early days for Drivin South, if they want people to sit up and notice them, they really need to mature a little and open their ears a little to other styles and sounds.  Even singer Ashley's stance at the mic is a homage to Liam Gallagher tonight, and while the barely post-pubescent lads moshing at the front (the band members' mates, one would wager) appear to be having the time of their lives, there are many mocking voices towards the back of the room - for once on genuine grounds of taste, rather than jealous ones.  If Drivin South can take what they've learnt and convert it into something more original, then they could surprise all of us, but if not, a prosperous future as an Oasis tribute band awaits.

Ricky proudly announced their signing to The Bluetones' record label - a band they recently supported on tour.  This inevitably leads to comparisons between the two, and common themes can be pointed out, such as the acoustic guitars playing melodic, major key indie pop.  In fact, after comparing the two, The Bluetones actually lose out.  Where The Bluetones are twee and nasal, Ricky are harmonious and melancholic with a competent sense of professionalism throughout.  Although the arrangements are essentially clichéd and unoffensive, the tightness in the band's playing and, in particular, their wonderful three-way harmonies prevent their performance from becoming dull or bland.  With a debut album scheduled for early 2004 and a host of catchy, Brian Wilson influenced tunes under their belt, a modest career could be pending - provided they get promoted adequately and receive some precious national radio play.

Although only two of the four acts at tonight's show warrant any immediate attention, it is reassuring to see the performers of Portsmouth finally working together to get people back in to local venues in the hope of creating some sort of scene.  Perhaps the habit of kicking Pompey bands down before they've even got up is at last coming to an end.  Even if these bands are far from the best in the world, with encouragement and enthusiasm maybe any of these acts could go on to create something original or worthy of more than just a footnote in the appendix of rock's history.

Review: Andrew Morrison