High Gain, All Female, Bad Attitude, high heeled nastily brilliant punk rock.

On to the stage waltzed The Smears. Equipped with several bottles of cheap white wine, snugly fitting dresses and a “who gives a f**k about feminism” attitude, they quickly establish to the unsuspecting audience that they are not the type of girls to mess about. They are here for a reason, and that reason is for you to listen.

Hot off the start line The Smears slaughtered their way through a sadistically inspired collection of songs that contained a rare element of unpolished rawness that today is often mis-sold as an excuse for your band being crap! Even their name seems to flood your mind with offending graphic imagery.

This band seem to seductively lure you in with a downtrodden whisper. They wait for you to lean forward for a more detailed listen, then just as you think youv’e been accepted, they kick you in the bollocks, walk away, laugh and grunge a little more.

The Band consists of Emma O’Neil (Guitar Vocals), Natalie Caulton (bass) and Colette Hutton (drums). Emma O’Neil possesses a rare quality that is often the major downfall of upcoming bands. Similar to that of Courtney love or Brody Dalle, she effortlessly immerses herself into a possessed rock queen with endless charisma and oddly intriguing vision. Her angry aggressive style is occasionally interrupted with a glimpse of, strangely acceptable foul mouthed charm! Natalie continues to uphold the band persona on bass with simple bold bass lines and humorous on stage-camaraderie. Sat quietly, vocally at least, in the distance, is Colette. With a minimal punk kit assembled she

hits hard, fast, no nonsense Ramones esk beats which welds the group together and directs them.

I’m not the first to see this band, and I wont be the last, they may go somewhere in the sometimes incestuace punk circuit, they might not. They were a refreshing surprise to me and I loved it! My only recommendation for this band is that if punk is your tipple, go see them, they are a ever decreasing insight to some proper punk.

Just a word, leave you prude parents at home, they might not be overly impressed at your unacceptable fondness of seeing a threesum of attractively filthy rock chicks using the C word as often as they do……

The Smears have lots of upcoming gigs so get to some, I’ll see you there….

Mark

The Smears Links:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-SMEARS/115664515898
http://www.myspace.com/the_smears