@ Notting Hill Arts Club
Matt Hussey reports on the June 28 gig featuring: D’Silva, Neon Diamond, Hitchhiker & Glasvegas

Having been deserted by my PIMP cohorts, your ever-wasted reporter flew solo all in the name of giving readers the latest and greatest for what’s going on in the big smoke. This week, it was down to the discrete entrance of a one Notting Hill Arts Club with its stealthy doorway that managed to baffle yours truly for a good ten minutes. Having found my nautical bearings, it was down the murky stairs and into regular Wednesday club night Death Disco to peruse the new talent on display.

Populated by the standard Notting Hill fare; dwindling ‘arty’ types, aspirational 30-somethings and the almost disease-like indie kids, the dual-roomed venue provided moody corners and front-and-centre viewing for the nights showcase.

First act up were London based foursome D’Silva with morbidly-attired frontlady Ruth providing suitable guidance through a textbook example of rock-melody tracks that seemed to hold-back the very talented vocalist. Last song of the set ('It’s Got You') did offer good signs for the band’s progress as they served up high-tempo ‘Seven Nation Army’ drummings with a more apt sound for Ruth.

Having listened to who got what in their exams and the latest office scandal, heavy metalists Neon Diamond led the night down a dark hallway as the frontman of the band struck me as looking an awful lot like Buffalo-Bill of Silence of the Lambs fame. All in all, a generic performance with what not to do with a crowd who doesn’t wear black and grow their hair down to their arse.

Thankfully, the mighty Hitchhiker heralding from Middlesbrough salvaged the near wreckage via sublime Hendrix riffs, and finger-pointing good lad-pop that got indie-kids moshing and 30-somethings moving rigidly. The finale wasn’t on the same note as the Hikers, but palpably named Glaswegian band Glasvegas offered a solid live performance. As the night waged on and the memory blurred I managed to scribble down something saying that the night was pretty good. Keep up the good work.