Owing to the unfortunate postponement of Racebannon’s tour until January 2011, the second time in a row fate has prevented them from levelling Buffalo with their sludgy blooze-punk attack, this Lesson #1 event has become a bargain-priced showcase for a clutch of new bands with fine local pedigree and plenty of noisy promise.

The main draw here is BRANDYMAN, whose six-song, 18-minute cameo at our Action Beat show last week damn near stole the gold.  A jagged, muscly take on 90s alt-rock with sheet-metal Jesus Lizard guitars and the fevered, declamatory narration of Gindrinker frontman DC Gates, they’re loud, witty, catchy and tight as the proverbial.  Vivers’ breathless review of their free-to-download Adam Walton session will tell you more.  Look out for the cover version, it’s splendid.

Your defacto headliners A THOUSAND ARROWS mine a similar seam of crushing post-hardcore riffs and 90s influences – At The Drive-In notable among them – and have form in Panel and Raging Speedhorn.  Some tasty-sounding demos at their Myspace.  Newer still on the block are THE MILK RACE, whose demo offering is remarkably lo-fi but betrays a recent past in the likes of International Karate Plus and Heck – short, choppy, new-wave influenced indie rock.  Be there early to witness the spectacle that is BOOZE – their first performance, rescuing a similarly late-changing bill, saw the ensemble legless and the chief howler licking cheap spirits off the floor of Clwb.  Something to behold.

MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

LESSON NO.1 PRESENTS:

A THOUSAND ARROWS
Newish but building a rep day by day, A Thousand Arrows is where dudes from bands you know – SHAPED BY FATE and RAGING SPEEDHORN notably; PANEL, THE SLOWDANCE and THE HUMAN RACE more than worthy of mention – act out their love of (mostly) 90s bands like HELMET, SNAPCASE, QUICKSAND and CAVE IN. Solid metal riffs, cane sugar melody. Three demo tracks here: http://www.myspace.com/athousandarrowsuk

BRANDYMAN
Dudes ex and current of other Cardiff bands – TRUCKERS OF HUSK, FTSE100, JOY OF SEX, GINDRINKER – plus, in the case of the drummer, THE ACTING PROFESSION (not a band). Brandyman have been active since the start of the year and play wicked tight math-rock with ZZ TOP b(l)ooze riffs and lyrics to make you giggle, and think. This is where you can hear them: http://brandyman.bandcamp.com/

THE MILK RACE
These fellows number three and have served in these bands. Ready? THE MARTINI HENRY RIFLES, SPACE IN THE 50S, MO-HO-BISH-O-PI, THE INTERNATIONAL KARATE PLUS and NAMELESS. So they are old hands in the realm of indie-rock and punk and garage and sweating. They purport to be influenced by DEVO and THE WIPERS this time out, so that’s good. They have one rehearsal here: http://www.myspace.com/themilkrace cos they’re that new! Turn it up loud.

BOOZE
Legends in their own liquid lunchtime, BOOZE feature members of The Death Of Her Money and Dan Lazenby, who has played in quite a few bands. Their M.O. is to get really really drunk before playing, then go and play trashy rock music and fall around a lot. Ace.

ALL HAPPENING AT: Buffalo, Windsor Place, Cardiff

7.30pm doors
£4 on the door

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