Photos, LIVE Review: Secondsmile @ Birmingham Flapper & Firkin

You wouldn't call it the best of starts to a week long tour, one show cancelled because the promoter forgot to promote it, and now a lead singer is down. But these guys won't let that get in their way.

Sometimes four-piece, sometimes five-piece band Secondsmile were joined tonight by their co-headliners Meet Me In St. Louis, who aided them in publicising their spilt single on this week long excursion throughout the country. The privilege of starting the nights proceedings fell at the feet "Burmingham's" own Johnny Foreigner (not to be confused with Jonny Foreigner - as if that could happen) who decided to kick the privilege for a 2 point conversion.

The three members of Johnny Foreigner have learned very quickly how to put on a show. Appearing to be The Futurehead's demented half-brother they veered from stomp-along punk anthems to brilliantly constructed group vocal a cappellas. Their seemingly short set was designed to take the audiences breath away. And considering the number of people present who died of suffocation, the job could be considered done. To hell with immigration policy, we need Johnny Foreigner in our country.

Having witnessed far too many bands pull their shows due to "vocalist illness", it was a welcome relief to see Meet Me In St. Louis soldier on with an instrumental performance. Although it was readily apparent that they were missing something (like say, a vocalist), the band never let this hold them back and let rip with a great set, marred only by the fact that they spent far too much time between songs tuning their instruments and offered scant in the way of audience interaction.

Secondsmile - one of the more promising up and coming bands in England - took the stage to finish. Due to some timing issues, the band was forced to rush through their entire set with a "thank you" breathlessly shouted at the end of each song before then immediately submerging back into the set. While perhaps not being on top form, Secondsmile gained great appreciation for both older songs, and also their new material. Which, if this is the precursor for their new album, then we all have something to look forward to when it's released.

Details:

Johnny Foreigner: Myspace

Meet Me In St. Louis: Myspace - Website

Secondsmile: Myspace - Website

For an exclusive interview with Secondsmile which features a previously unreleased song from the band, hover and click on this.