Kill 2 This and Breed77 - Live Review @ The Charlotte, Leicester, England (27/5/2003)

with

and
CALM INSANITY

Tuesday 27th May, 2003 @ The Charlotte, Leicester, ENGLAND.

A Tuesday evening at the Charlotte doesn’t sound the most inviting prospect until you include the opportunity of seeing not only Breed 77 but also fellow Brit scene veterans Kill2This - it then becomes an occasion that should not be missed.

Opening proceedings tonight were Calm Insanity, but unfortunately they’d finished just before our arrival - which was a real shame as our recent review of their album commented that their material should come across well in a live environment - and going on the word of several punters, they were rather good.

It was Breed 77 that were next to appear on stage and they went straight into action for what was a great set. This is a band that seems to be continually overlooked and underrate which is a real shame because they have a talent for writing songs that expertly integrate power with melody. This was a raw but very melodic performance of some modern influence heavy rock, utilising not just the stunning lead vocals but also some great backing vocals from both guitarists and at times the passion was simply flowing from the band. As well as many classic tunes from their debut album, it also featured some new songs, most notably their pending single “La Ultima Hora” which incorporates some nice Spanish, acoustic style guitar work. It was a fine performance from the Gibraltarians, who got a number of the crowd dancing like crazy out front – which is something of achievement midweek in Leicester.

It’s been a while since we've seen headliners Kill2This play the Charlotte, but they were back with a revitalised line up, an invigorated performance and lots of new songs to play. Kicking off the show with a blasting rendition of the opener from their new album “Mass.down.sin.drone” (Loudspeaker ohm011cd) called “The Truth…And Other Lies” and almost instantly your struck – quite literally – by the strength of new vocalist Phil Bretnall’s voice, it was brutal. For a man of relatively small stature, he has one hell of a set of lungs, so very strong and powerful, that excel in a live environment – if there were any niggles or doubts with his appointment then they were soon blown away! He put 110% into the performance and you just have to take your hat off to the man, despite having to battle with a poor on-stage monitor and consequently being unable to hear himself (something almost every band complains about at this venue).
	Warming up significantly as the show progressed, the band worked their way through most songs from “Mass.down.sin.drone” as well as a few older songs such as the classic “Trinity”. They had the crowd (as modest as it was) thoroughly enjoying itself with almost everyone getting involved and with the whole show being orchestrated by the dominating personality of guitarist Mark Mynett. There was no doubt who was running the show – his piercing eyes, like search-lights sweeping over every punter as he played the mid-song solo section of the emotionally charged “Winter Green” - his presence standing high above the crowd on the monitor cabinet. With (debut album) bassist Pete Stone returning to the band and strutting his stuff throughout, along with the steady metronomic drumming of Steve Rooney this was a very professional performance (which also included a rare encore), that satisfied everyone present
and makes the loud and definitive statement that they are back. Yes, this was an excellent gig, featuring a couple of top British bands that need to be seen live to appreciate fully and which also come highly recommended.