Komakino - Live In London
[Insomniac's Ball]

Weeks before this event had even started, there was a distinct aura of excitement lurking amongst the indie kids of the country. The thought of a venue boasting 3 rooms, an impressive line-up and a closing time of 6 in the morning was sure to be a success. And in retrospect it was, bar the ridiculously priced drinks!

SEone was a perfect venue to host the varying bands, but due to the lack of signs and the hundreds of sweaty bodies, it was hard to travel from one section to another, so I only managed to see a few bands. My two favourite acts of the evening were undoubtedly Derby based band Komakino, and the delectable Vincent Vincent and the Villains.

Komakino were the first band of the evening, and opened up in a rip-roaring fashion. Clad with their usual attire of gaffer tape crosses and skinny fit jeans, they certainly looked the part of the rock n roll star, but Komakino are more then that. Their diminutive front man Ryan Needham is brimming with stage charisma, and he brings a sense of manic energy to the stage. As he yelped the lyrics 'I know you feel let down and on the shelf. Why just say something, say something else', he leapt off Mark Stone's drum set, prompting the crowd to join in on this fan favourite.

They coped well with being the first band on the stage, and commanded attention, as they played out hits like 'Every Day Is Like A Friday Night' in their typically high-quality and hectic fashion. With tight guitar riffs and unassailable drumbeats, the crowd had no choice but to tap their feet and move their bodies.

Although they have been drifting around the music scene for a while, complications and some bad luck have faltered Komakino's meteoric rise, but this performance cemented the fact that 2006 will be their year.