M2TM is back for Round 3 and it’s a busy night at the Jericho Tavern! This week saw a last minute line-up change due to illness in the Thrown Like Owls camp, but, ever the professionals; the M2TM Team managed to pull another competing band out of the bag with Buckinghamshire based alternative rock band Kalm stepping up to join this year’s roster.
Names are drawn and four-piece Kalm are up first and put on a belting performance despite their last minute appearance. Launching straight in with a crowd pleasing cover of Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole; Kalm kicked off the evening with style and ambition. Whilst their set leaned mostly on a magnificent range of covers, they did also include one of their own original songs which really allowed their unique sound and style to shine through.
This set was powerful and energetic, with strong soulful vocals giving the covers a unique edge. There was some lovely bass groove, beautiful guitar work and the drums – well – this drummer is phenomenal and one to watch out for sure! The selection of songs they chose not only beautifully showcased everyone’s individual ability but also packed in a number of bangers guaranteed to get any self-respecting metalhead moving.
From System of a Down to Rage Against The Machine, they really worked the crowd and it was a joy to see such a young, visibly nervous band evolve even just throughout the duration of this set. With each song they grew in confidence and by the end you could see they were genuinely having fun and enjoying what they were doing and this was reflected by the audience. There’s a promising future ahead for these ambitious young musicians and this is what M2TM is all about. It’s no mean feat to step up and play a show at the last minute and they did so with skill, enthusiasm and flair.
Twin Skeletons are up next and dragged us forcibly into a brutal, crushing set filled with heavy breakdowns and full-force thumping bass and reverb that tore directly into the soul. This was a confident set, with tight, experienced musicians who you could tell were on a mission. It was less a gig, more a statement of intent.
The sound was LOUD and hypnotic, with a unique, statement tone from the guitars that was haunting and penetrating. Excellent use of backtrack added in some electronic elements that were beautifully integrated and enhanced the overall sound and atmosphere they crafted throughout their performance. The energy was high throughout and their front woman commanded the crowd with her clean, powerful vocals, energy and stage presence.
This was a polished, well-rehearsed and edgy set – the guitar tone and beautiful layering of different musical elements within the songs was a real standout. The songs are unique and captivating, and really catch the attention of the crowd. Dropping in some groove towards the end of their set, the whole room was moving and Twin Skeletons really showcased their experience as both musicians and performers.
Last but by no means least were Mortifi’d who ended the night on a pop-punk high and a set requiring you to expect the unexpected. Personalities shining through in abundance, this trio from Oxford stormed the stage with punk-rock attitude, a squirrel mascot and most importantly, FUN!
It’s always a joy to see a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously and this was a fantastic showcase as to why. We were served pop-punk with some country flavours and a wide variety of songs with the most abstract array of subject matters imaginable. From obnoxious people on buses to losing Tupperware lids, Mortifi’d have you covered! It is not only obvious when a band genuinely loves what they are doing, but infectious – their hearts are well and truly in this and that joy was picked up on and reflected by the audience.
There was great crowd interaction, relatability, and lots of nice tempo changes to keep us on our toes. The band members had great synergy on stage with lots of movement and shared riffing between the bassist and vocalist. The songs were catchy, quirky and original. This is a band that perform with humour, joy and personality by the bucketload. Their set was fun, unique, and definitely not one anyone will forget in a hurry!
As the sound dies down and the crowd shifts to the bar and the merch tables, votes are counted and fates decided. Twin Skeletons unsurprisingly take the crowd vote and Mortifi’d go through on the judges vote; a testament to their tight musicianship and originality. This doesn’t take anything away from Kalm who it must be said put on a stellar performance considering they only found out they were playing on the day of the show. Another fantastic evening of music of Jericho closes out but we are back for Round 4 of the road to Bloodstock next weekend!
Words & images: Kate Elfström
