Thursday 30th October, 2008 @ The Bell, Leominster, Herefordshire, ENGLAND.

It's was a cold Thursday night in Leominster and these were just the prospects you needed; a pub serving good ale and a cracking rock band to provide the entertainment. It was thirty minutes before the band were due to play and already the pub was busy and people just keep arriving. Things were looking promising...

It has to be said that somehow we have until now missed out on Mars Bonfire, which was simply unforgivable as they have spent the last six years growing out of the very roots of Herefordshire’s music scene. Well it was with hope of rectifying that major sin that we waited for the first bluesy bars of rock guitar to begin filling the already crammed rooms of The Bell.

It wasn’t long before they began a two part set, without delay they got down to some serious rockin’ and by now the place was heaving. The first thing that struck you - in a very pleasing way - was their sound; it’s a very retro rock feel reminiscent of the late sixties and early seventies, with properly sung vocals, wailing guitar, thundering drums, rumbling bass but above all cracking riffs. And then once you see the band they really do look the part, with long flowing locks of hair that are tossed around in fluid expression you began to realise in a small way just what it must of felt like when people first came across Zeppelin or Free or Purple in some back street boozer all those years ago - and now also somehow you felt part of something special.

The sets consisted of a sprinkling of impressive originals songs, as well as a fantastic Led Zeppelin medley, and some Hendrix and Free (please forgive me for the ambiguity and inaccuracy of the set list but lack of band familiarity, too much ale and a great atmosphere seduced me into a poor state of precise recall). However, hero worship has to go to Remi Harris with some fantastic guitar playing, particularly evident on the songs with which I was familiar like the Zeppelin covers, and you could be forgiven for thinking the young offspring of the great Jimmy Page was performing before you. There was solid playing by the rhythm section of Karl (bass) and Shane Dixon (drums) who I think are brothers, they certainly look like they are and appeared to work together with that brotherly instinct. And of course the vocals and band leader was filled by Martin Martyn who strutted and posed on par with the best that a young Paul Rogers or Robert Plant could muster. And all this at a free gig in a pub - fantastic!

Now my comments have contained much talk of comparisons and reminiscing of days gone by, but that is not all this band has to offer. Yes it would be fair to say that they are hugely influenced by the great bands of the era mentioned but they have taken the flame and rekindled it, mixed in the freshness and enthusiasm of youth, and reintroduced forgotten ingredients in today’s rock music - quality songs, proper singing, guitar solos and did I mention the fucking riffs man!!  They’re a band that seems to play at just about any opportunity they can get and with loads of gigs lined up on their myspace page, I urge you to get yourself to one of them - I know I am going to, and next time I will be paying far more attention!

Rigsby
www.iwillbeheard.co.uk

Info: marsbonfire.co.uk and www.myspace.com/marsbonfirespace
New EP (October 2008): 'See The Light' (not yet reviewed)

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