Wednesday 11/07/07 International One, Six Nation State @ The Water Rats, London

We get to Kings Cross cursing the tube and a Prince press conference that only confirmed the new album is as shit as the last one. Cursing because it means we only catch the last song of the brilliant Six Nation State, a ska/punk-influenced London 6 piece who can lay claim to being Britain’s answer to Gogol Bordello. Their new single ‘I Hate the Summer’ is pretty much perfect for this lame excuse for a season we are experiencing.

With blood pressure returning to normal our attention turns to International One. Breast fed on Stone Roses and served up The Verve with their school dinners this Manchester five piece are raised in the finest of traditions. Swaggering into town wearing oversized t-shirts and haircuts from a back street barber, faces full of distain for everything southern; the price of a pint, the skinny jeans, the fact they spotted some geezer in make up in Camden.

They are playing in front of what a sizable bunch of leftover fans of Six Nation State, and it doesn’t start well. Opener ‘Fantasies’ is beset by sound problems, vocals, keys, sax – the lot and Gigwise fear the worst when lead singer Franco announces this is their first ever London gig and a voice replies “yeah and don’t come back”. Ouch!

With a stinging heckle such as that there are several options left open for a band: cut him down with wit, cut him down with a guitar in the mush or cut him down with music.

As much as a ruck would be fun we are glad to say they chose the latter. Three tracks in and ‘Sidetracked’ is enough to make one punter toss his jacket into the crowd to ordain himself their very own dancing high priest with as much “style” as Bez  to the embarrassed hilarity of his girlfriend. Think those two previously mentioned greats mixed with Get Cape and you are somewhere near the sound of International One. We know what you are thinking - that is a good mix. The songs are laced with poetic melody and blinding hooks but it is the sax that really stands out.

They blast through a short but strong set after the shaky start and even the heckler is joining in the dance – a far better result than tossing out the “cos everytime I **** your wife she gives me a biscuit’ favourite reply to hecked fat comics.

Franco announces their exit with stunning debut single ‘Moonshine and Roses’, which stars Shameless’ rogue hero Lip in the video. The crowd are happy with their swift departure and demand one more which they duly deliver with ‘These Days’. Class.