Riding the Low - Rock and Roll's Best Kept Secret

Friday nights at the Leadmill provide a raw, lo-fi alternative to the usual mix of music to be found on a night out in Sheffield. They open a stage to a wide range of local bands and ones from further afield to belt out some tunes and have a good time, and in doing so drag the audience along with them.

The first band that I saw on this occasion were Jukebox Memory Loss playing their last ever gig, apparently. This is a crying shame, because they were really rather good - bouncy indie-pop with a cheeky sense of humour to the lyrics.

From Riding the Low 28/10/11

In contrast, The Wynells are still going strong and brought along a sizeable contingent of fans and friends with them. Somewhat heavier than the preceding band with a touch of metal in the guitar solos, but very engaging and worth a listen, I would say.

From Riding the Low 28/10/11

Finally, the band I had come to see took the stage.

From Riding the Low 28/10/11

I had been blown away the first time that I saw Riding the Low and they managed to up the ante this time with a superb set featuring plenty of songs that were new to me as well as a couple of familiar favourites. Some of the new ones have a dark edge to them ("What has the universe done for me lately" and "Piss Parade" which is "about those people that like to piss on your chips") in contrast to the slightly more sentimental "This Gun Wants You Back" and "Beer Tears". Lead singer Paddy Considine promised to close the set with twenty minutes of heavy rock 'n' roll, and he didn't disappoint with solid support from a band that really know how to let rip.

I get the feeling that Riding the Low could easily command a much bigger stage, if they wanted to, but while they are happy to play the Leadmill there is no better place to see them.