Well, only one this issue...

THE BEE MEN, EGO SOSO, OG'S BUNKADOO BAND - Jug of Ale, 23rd Feb 02
I'd heard good things about Og's Bunkadoo Band and was interested to hear what they were like. They were basically a slightly off-centre noisepop band with psychedelic, folkish and post-rock elements in some songs. They weren't quite as wacky as their name suggests, although one of them had a particularly crazy style of on-stage dancing. Their songs were quite long but didn't drag on. I liked their music and am keen to hear more. Bearos have plans for a future release by them - I look forward to it!
Ego Soso were high-angst-factor indie-rock. I liked some of this band's songs but overall I couldn't help thinking I'd heard their style of music done many times before. They were certainly good at what they did, but personally I prefer bands with a more individual and distinctive sound.
For example The Bee Men, who aren't all men - the drummer is a woman, as is the guitarist/singer/clarinettist/trombone player/triangle player. I wondered whether their inventive and quirky brand of pop would translate well into a live setting, or whether they're one of those bands that you have to hear their records to find out exactly what they're about. Unfortunately the clarinet and female vocals could hardly be heard, and they were also missing a bass player, but despite these points you could still tell that they were the same band, which is good. Of course, it would have been better if you could actually hear Jen, but the band's overall style was the same live as it is on record. This band manage to sound individual yet also poppy and catchy, which is rare. I can recommend them to anyone into the more adventurous side of pop.
Oh, another thing I must mention is that during Ego Soso's set, a naked man emerged from the backstage area and danced around for a while at the back of the stage. Amusing and unexpected.

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