The Computers - The Old Bell, Derby

We first caught The Computers supporting Alexisonfire at Nottingham’s Rock City venue, and let’s be honest, they have an energetic, very loyal, fanbase, so for any support act to make such an impact on that set of fans, they have to be impressive. Lucy’s parting comment from that gig was “we have got to see those guys (The Computers) again”. Well, lucky for us the lads in their iconic top to toe white outfits were on tour again, this time supporting New York outfit “Gay for Johnny Depp”.

And it’s those outfits that trick you into a false sense of security. You first see them, all in white, and when the music starts and the full blast of the vocals are unleashed, you realise that underestimating them was a very bad mistake. There are times that their performance is unhinged (I’ve never seen a harmonica used as plectrum for a guitar, but yes, that did indeed happen for “Teenage Tourettes”), quite possibly maniacal, but definitely passionate, and guaranteed to carry you along. And singer Alex makes sure of that, because as far as he’s concerned, the entire room is his stage.

The Old Bell venue in Derby is quirky, but Alex goes exploring anyway, perching himself precariously on all sorts of tables, letting his lead drag the microphone stand around after him, tangling up the audience. It’s all terrific fun, with Aiden just completely beating the living daylights out of his drumkit, driving the band on. Exeter has a thriving punk scene, evidently, with the likes of The Computers making their presence felt, and even though it’s not really my sort of music, I have to absolutely give full credit to them because they were just fantastic.

Photos by Lucy