Monday 17/05/04 Auden Prim, Ishkobar @ Magnet, Liverpool

When Auden Prim’s demo was pulled from the Demolition mail sack, Gigwise Towers shook with such ferocity that we thought a Viking horde had invaded the shires...we weren’t wrong. And it’s on a special Viking night that we catch up with The Prims as it’s National Norway Day or somesuch weirdness. Entering the venue is made more difficult by a clutter of longboats anchored randomly in the street. So, we pay our fish cover charge, and descend into Rock'n'Roll valhalla...

Or so we thought. When the Nordic/Afrikaan combo Ishokobar take to the stage, you may be forgiven for thinking that you’re in for a good time. Polished riffs and a talented vocal immediately outfizz your shandy, but not for long as Ishkobar’s brand of sparkle is of the Sodastream variety. Ultimately the band lack any kind of edge and could do with tearing up their set list and starting again. Staid, over rehearsed set pieces overstate the obvious and we’re treated to some of the most gripping lyrics ever, well not really. This is Simple Minds compared to U2, or The New Radicals to Simple Minds, please do something else with your apparent ability.

Auden Prim, oh readers of Gigwise, are indeed an interesting prospect. Fronted by Peter Beardsley, genetically spliced with Guy Garvey and perhaps even a sprinkle of Soundtrack of Our Lives frontman Ebbot Lundberg, this five piece ensemble deliver the best bits of emo and epic indie rock. Peter Guy Ebbot’s two handed grapple with the microphone gives a distinguished and heartfelt edge to the performance, and handsome support is provided by two of the coolest indie kids in town on guitar and keys. Week in week out the turgid festering pile of what is the unsigned scene drains your poor music reviewers and its refreshing to see a band that has a little more va va voom than your average perennials. The Prims have a little something extra, and although not quite yet fully formed (and for ****sache I hope they drop that song where people were waving lighters around) they are definitely on the verge of invading our helpless country.

Photos by Scott Higgins