EXIT TEN. The Trews, Raven Vandelle @The Institute 7/2/12

Pointing to the massive backdrop behind him, Exit Ten singer Ryan Redman notes wryly, “It says here we are the next big thing. So watch out.”

For you see, this gig is part of the HMV Next Big Thing Tour, a series of gigs to showcase up and coming talent, which is fine, except that no one seems to have told the gig going public of Birmingham, who had no interest in braving the cold for this one, which means that Redman says this to about 30 people.

Which is a pity because the gig puts two bands – Exit Ten and The Trews – who RTM has a lot of time for and adds Walsall mob Raven Vandelle to complete the bill.

Vandelle are a hotly tipped four-piece who have been making waves recently, Classic Rock made them band of the day last year and they have secured a series of reasonably high profile opening slots (including Jettblack, who RTM saw them with last year)

When vocalist/guitarist Dave Taylor opens his mouth, though, it is hard to shake the feeling that they are 15 years too late – in fact it is hard to shake the feeling that you are listening to Chris Cornell. Even their song titles “Breathe,” “Disease” and set closer “Revolution” scream mid 90s grunge. They are fine musicians and craft some excellent songs – although personally, RTM doesn’t need to hear covers of nonsense pop like Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.”

The lasttime Canada’s The Trews were in these parts it was for a rather ill fated show downstairs in October, when a combination of an awful sound and the band being….well…in a mood didn’t help the enjoyment levels of anyone.

This time round they are much, much better and a good deal happier. Opening with the superb “World I Know,” they showcase their new “Hope and Ruin” opus in the shape of its title track and “Misery Loves Company.” They also turn “Poor Broken Hearted Me” into a jam of epic proportions and generally underline the fact that their take on Stones-esque rock, while never going to re-invent the wheel, is a damn fine one.

Speaking of bands that have just played The Institute, it is barely three months since ExitTen were here on their album release tour. Essentially tonight they play the same set kicking off with standout tune “Life” and following it up with “Curtain Call,” the punchy one-two from their “Give Me Infinity” album.

The Reading five piece have an assured confidence that comes with touring pretty much relentlessly over the last few years and by the time they close their set with “Lion,” the improvement in the band is palpable.

 Whether any of these bands is, in fact, the Next Nig Thing, remains to be seen – and indeed if any of them breaks through to the mainstream our money is on Exit Ten – but all three in their own way is an entertaining proposition.

The problem is that no-one seems to be aware. It must be soul destroying to be The Next Big Thing and still have no one turn up.

The Trews @ Birmingham Institute Library 22/10/11

The Trews had been to the football in the Afternoon before this gig. Watching Aston Villa play West Bromwich Albion and guitarist John Angus McDonald seems pretty vexed at the difference between the 30 odd thousand at Villa park and they 70 odd here. “Why aren’t you guys more like the soccer crowd,” he admonishes. “They were so angry and loud.”

Perhaps an explanation – certainly as fat as RTM is concerned – for the somewhat  melancholy atmosphere are the dreadful indie support bands, Little Wing and The Sharp Darts. It wouldn’t be right, or indeed fair, for me to review either band as neither are remotely the sort of music I enjoy, but I have included some links for you to check them out if you so desire.

By contrast I have been a fan of the Trews since discovering their “No Time For Later” album online a couple of years ago. The Nova Scotia band have no pretensions to be anything other than a classic rock band and more power to them for that.

They also have a frankly, fantastic new album in the bag, in “Hope and Ruin” and they kick of a track from that this evening, the phenomenally catchy “World I Know.”

All is going swimmingly at this point, but guitarist McDonald still doesn’t seem to be in the best of moods. “Show me some love or we might as well go home,” he says at one point. The simmering undercurrent isn’t helped by an amp blowing – and as his brother, singer Colin explains, its one of a series of mishaps that have befallen the band since they arrived on these shores.

With a new amp borrowed from one of the supports its all systems go again but even after a rousing rendition of “Poor Broken Hearted Me” something still seems to be missing.

Until, that is, the encore, when all of a sudden the Trews cut loose and become the bar band you always suspected they were. Colin McDonald duetting with a member of the crowd on a Canadian folk song and fair ripping in to stand out cut on the new LP, “Misery Loves Company.”

There was nothing inherently wrong with The Trews tonight but their booking agent did them no favours. This gig belonged in a small room, packed with people with sweat running off the walls, not 70 odd in a medium sized room on a cold night in Birmingham.

Sometimes, Rock N Roll is about setting.

.