Sunday 02/09/07 Kubichek!, Battle @ Carling Academy 2, Newcastle

Local lads Kubichek! were back in the city in which it all began, determined to show just how much progress they had made. A packed venue was maybe more down to a bulging guest-list, than mass hysteria, but nonetheless it still represented a great return for a Sunday night. The hoards were treated to a display dripping with energy and urgency, if maybe not the most impressive or imaginative of set-lists.

Warming up the crowd like a mug of Ovaltine, Battle were pleasant and soothing but like the drink - pretty plain. Their visibly youthful looks mean they certainly have time to improve on their non-offensive acoustic driven indie. Headliners Kubichek! have most probably graced more Newcastle stages than they wish to remember, but credit to them, they still look excited and ‘up-for-it’ tonight. The Geordie foursome sound so much more endearingly raw live as they spit out the majority of their encouraging debut album ‘Not Enough Night’. ‘Nightjoy’ was delivered with an extra dollop of aggression, while ‘Stutter’ sounded immense and underlined just why it is a firm fans favourite. Unfortunately the lads like to somewhat shoot themselves in the foot as the visible momentum built up by the electric ‘Roman is Better’ was soon quashed by following it with a much sombre offering.  

Although many of the crowd may have been family or friends of the band their encouragement and visible enjoyment seemed to be rather vacant. Only a few die-hards in the front row jumped about singing every word back, while the rest gazed on from the back as if watching a movie. If Kubichek’s performance had been a film it would probably be a predictable ‘Teen Rom/Com’ as with a solitary album there isn’t much scope for any twists and turns when guessing what they will play next. But what the lad’s lacked in surprises they certainly made up in enthusiasm and delivery.

Finishing a gig shouldn’t be that much of a struggle. You’ve played your best songs apart from maybe one saved for the inevitable encore. So you scoot off stage to return a few swigs of a beer and towel-down later to perform that last golden nugget. Oh right so Kubichek! believe it better to **** off the encore and instead just play the last few lines of their closing song to breaking point. Guitar distortion after guitar distortion for five minutes, until all of the crowd’s cupped hands have returned to their pockets with the eternal drag of pointless noise hinting no end. It’s a climax overdose that replaces applause with bafflement.

With fellow ‘North-Eastenders’ Maximo Park enjoying considerably more success at present, it is pretty clear to see why this has become the case. Yes Kubichek! have some truly catchy and decent songs, but they stop short at being great. They entertain and please live, but again don’t quite stun or excite.
Kubichek! could be one song away from stardom, their live perform has been honed to run like clockwork and the lads still have that visible hunger and desire to deliver. But it is fast approaching make or break time if they want to avoid their ‘home-coming gig’ turning into a weekly event.