Sunday 19/01/03 Victor FME, Kevin Divine, Grampus Eight, Koufax @ Barfly, Liverpool

It's a slow Sunday evening. It's grey outside and the gods are taking a beer induced piss upon Liverpool. Despite this, the Barfly is looking enthusiastically packed.

First, it's four-piece Victor FME. The person who put these guys on tonight's line-up deserves an award. Liverpool based, they, like Koufax, make heavy use of electronic keyboard sounds in their songs, only with a more British sound coming through. Playing a light brand of pop rock they were well received by the crowd - the bar section near empty. If you haven't caught these guys yet, then you'd do well to go see them some time.

Kevin Divine shuffled onstage with nothing but a stool and an acoustic guitar unnoticed at first as the crowd chatted during the break. Brought over from New York for the tour, his "hello" brought complete silence to the audience who remained hushed throughout, except for short deserved applause between songs.

So acoustic isn't to everyone's tastes and unlike the other bands of the night, there was a mini-exodus to the bar. Whether this was caused by his style of music or his inspiration for writing is unknown; but most songs appeared to be about lost friends and past relationships taking an emotional toll. Towards the end it was beginning to become repetitive.

Saving him from this was his voice - vocals like Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) were so eerily similar that it took some effort not to shout a request for 'Mr Jones' at points.

I suspect that a large number of people filling the Barfly were there for local hardcore outfit Grampus Eight, probably never even having heard of Koufax. Those who had been hiding at the bar for the previous forty minutes came flooding back in, creating a packed but not uncomfortable feeling.

Their back to rock 'n' roll basics set equalled that of the headliners at around forty minutes in length. There isn't a lot to say about Grampus that hasn't been said about them before, only that their brand of heavy hardcore rock was well received by tonight's crowd.

Equal parts Detroit and Ohio, Koufax have recently slimmed down to a four piece in preparation for second album 'Social Life' released on Vagrant/Polydor in the UK earlier this month. A downsizing from the heavy synth-laden and sometimes cluttered debut 'It Had Something to Do With Love' is evident on stage.

More of Robert Suchen's guitar is present and even though Koufax decides to keep its partying to a controlled pace - it being a Sunday - there is no evidence of any desire to slow down, despite having just completed a North American tour and a number of dates across Europe with label mates the Get Up Kids.

Indeed this can only be seen as the start of things to come for Koufax. A new, fuller sounding album receiving acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic is beginning to fill venues. Hints of bands like the Strokes appear in newer songs like 'Younger Body'. Older songs 'Move Out, Move On' and 'Minor Chord' were just as well received by old and new fans alike. Koufax are never going to shake off their comparison to E.L.O. nor should they wish to, but by expanding their style as they have ought to have sent many more Koufax fans home tonight - even if they didn't play the Cure cover they promised.

Photos by Sakura Henderson :: sakura@gigwise.com