You know when you’re drinking, and you find yourself somewhere you never planned on being? Well that happens to me quite often these days. I had no idea I would end up at The Cellar Bar in Oxford last Saturday for instance. But when you go out on the lash with Greig Stewart this is what happens. So we go down the stairs and there’s our old mate Jimmy at the sound desk and a band on stage.
“Who are this lot?” I ask. “They’re called Desert Storm” Jimmy replies. “They don’t look old enough to have stormed any deserts though.” I reply. But then I’m distracted by Greig clambering on to the stage while the band are in mid song, grabbing a spare drumstick from the drummer and starting to thrash a cymbal on the side of the stage. Fair go on the band. They carried on playing without a flinch as Greig made his way around the stage. I by now am at the front, head banging and enjoying their sound. They’re heavy but original with it, which is hard these days because there are billions of bands playing this type of music. Yeah heavy, but not heavy, if you know what I mean.
Matt Ryan has a powerful voice, growling over the music wearing a big ex army coat on stage. He says they’re from Oxford. They are doing the support slot tonight. But they must stay with it because I don’t think it will be long before they are pulling big crowds and playing high up on huge platforms.
There are twins in Desert Storm too. Twins are my next favorite thing to dwarves. There is Elliot Cole on drums and his brother Ryan on guitar. Twins must have so much fun confusing people. Sorry digression. Their bass player is very good at keeping it tight with the drums. This job goes to one Chris Benoist. Their other guitarist Chris White was absent tonight, but it didn’t distract from the sound. I look forward to seeing them in the future with full ensemble.
Desert Storm are newish to the scene, born in 2007 and should grow in confidence as they gig. You watch this space, because at this moment in time I am a fan. It takes a lot to get my toe a tapping these days. But Desert Storm managed it.
Find them at their MySpace page and say hello to them for me.
Desert Storm on MySpace
By: Dave Tommo
Fairly sure it was actually Ryan filling in on bass for the absent Chris Benoist, and actually Chris White was playing guitar…I’ve known these guys for years now, and they’re awesome at what they do. That gig had a tiny crowd, but that was probably my favourite set by them for a very long time, because they just went for it.