Beatles Night at Bedford Esquires 30 December 2006 (The alternative NYE) Bowfinger
Fruition
The New Town Centres
Portion I’m a bit of a bah humbug type of person when it comes to New Year’s Eve, so I decided to celebrate in style with the rest of the indie militia a day early at Bedford Esquires.  | | The New Town Centres |
Portion, The New Town Centres, Fruition and Bowfinger were on the bill, providing a veritable feast of Beatles classics and a few of their own choice songs thrown in for good measure. The end result was an evening packed with foot stomping, 60s inspired moves and a cocktail of sharp mod suits. Portion were on first and for an instant I thought Denis Pennis was fronting them. I’d heard of them, but never seen them – as I’m afraid to say, the name always put me off… (the same goes for later band, Fruition).  | | Portion |
But the band was so much better than their name, and provided tunes with a twinge of the Lost Prophets about them. Their Beatles tunes were given a mild Sex Pistols twist with lead singer, Blaine Elderton, catapulting himself around the stage and dangling from the lighting rig to applause from the audience. Tonight wasn’t just a night about Beatles covers; it was a night for learning the old adage, ‘Never judge a book by its cover’. The New Town Centres were on next and I was expecting a young ‘Arctic Monkeys’ style, rough around the edges band of 17-year-olds.  | | Fruition |
But oh no, they’re a slick six piece with a few years life experience behind them, with songs crafted from reality, not fake plastic Internet bedroom adventures. The music press are latching on to these guys, so catch these Stevenage based lads at some more intimate local gig venues before they’re off touring some far off land like East Anglia. Next on were Fruition. Dapperly dressed in waistcoat and loose tie the lead singer belted out tunes bands making the charts would be damn jealous of. Out of all the bands on tonight’s line up, Fruition are of our time. They are right now, swinging on the coat tails of bands like Larrikin Love, The View, The Rifles and The Modern. I took an instant dislike to the name, but the band, again, usurped that feeling with beats that made the night go with a bang.  | | Bowfinger |
And finally, headlining act, Bowfinger were on stage. Mod beats, size 6 shirts on the backs of skinny men, ankle swinging trousers and guitars tightly strapped to their torso. Bowfinger are a competent pack of men, attacking the crowd full on with their mod, ska, punk anthems. A whole host of the crowd probably came along to hear endless Beatles tracks, but I bet a whole load more left with a new favourite band. All of these bands are on the Internet, so go and check them out, support local talent and make your own mind up. | 
