Hedrock Valley Beats/Foam

It’s midweek, weather’s not up to much, and Sparklehorse are doing their morbid, over-rated thing at a bigger venue further along the road. Add to the mix the first few gusts of Drumcree wind-chill, and the lamentable paucity of indie-kid attendees at Sketchy’s Foam/Hedrock double-header is kind of understandable.

Not that Jeff Topley is bothered.

“When we’re the biggest band in the country,” he tells us, “you’re all going to be glad you came here tonight.”

Thank God someone from Portadown is feeling optimistic.

Foam are debuting lots of spanking new equipment tonight. Which, for those who consider show-stopping technical hitches (mics exploding, amps fusing, batteries running out) to be a fond feature of the duo’s shows, may be a cause for some mourning. For anyone, though, who wants to see a band finally punch their own weight and begin to realise their undoubted sonic potential, it really is good news all round.

They write songs for people who cry in the toilets at parties. Maybe now the rest of the guests will be pressing their ears to the door.

Hedrock Valley Beats would be in the front room larging it of course. Which makes it difficult for them tonight. Whereas Foam’s songs ask you to come up close, Hedrock’s mixture of big beats and ceiling-punching samples swaggers around looking for someone to have a go at. Only there’s no-one here, so it’s just killing some time before going off back home.

However, following their parting from Infectious, it’s been a rough few months for the boys and it’s good to see them back for another go. They will, after all, sound so much better once the sun comes out.