January is a tough time all round, it’s dark, cold we are all a bit hungover and broke, and it’s a particularly tough time for pubs and live music venues.

So, determined to do my bit and laughing loudly at the concept of ‘dry January’ (very loudly as it turned out), I ventured out to see a couple of interesting sounding young bands at the new look Grayston Unity.

The main headline were Superstore. We were treated to an interesting, slightly perplexing, slightly chaotic set packed full of potential. Not everything worked but it was a fun, entertaining set which left me wishing I could catch these guys again before too long.

Musically, Superstore felt quite often like a early chaotic Beatles, or perhaps there is a sense of pure late 70’s Mod revival, with just a touch of ska and horns. Whatever, there’s a repeated return to raw and gutsy rock and roll, mixed in with a love of The Jam and Pavement.

Not so many play music that rootsy way these days so it felt a little like a ‘back to the future’ moment. Added to the mix was the combination of two vocalists in the band which always adds a good contrast.

The Superstore set was exuberant and as the band are from the Wirral, I couldn’t resist thinking the band had that chirpy, irrepressible vibe that seems to pulse from the earth in that neck of the world.

That all said, my notes the following morning rather perplexingly read: If Romesh Ranganathan was in a band it would be this. I think it was the sardonic way they introduced the tracks that did it – at one point the band announce, “this is basically a Pavement rip off… but at least its not a cover of a Pavement original“.

Superstore are a young band, and show immense promise – the guys are in hibernation now til summer I understand, so I’ll be looking forward to see how they develop.

First up on this evening were Self Driving Cars, a band originally with connections with Aylesbury but fresh from a spell at Leeds Conservatoire and Leeds based now. Their coming on stage track was the Velvet Underground and Nico’s I’ll Be Your Mirror, which I’ve not heard on big speakers for an age. I warmed to Self Driving Cars for that sheer pleasure.

I think it’s fair to say there was a slightly hesitant start with the Self Driving Cars guys checking in with each other to make sure they were ready to go and on the beat, but they very quickly moved into their punchy stride (or auto drive mode perhaps).

Self Driving Cars were led from the off by lead vocalist Ash, who with his southern street accent and his urgent almost clipped way of delivering the lyrics, reminded me slightly of the likes of Billy Bragg on stage.

Self Driving Cars are a beaty nicely hard proposition. At present the band have just one track on Spotify, the bouncing anthem Crash, which gives a good flavour of the band. If you like your music banging, pacey and hard (Soft Play, early Courting, bit of a Streets feel perhaps) this is a band for you.

I’m not so keen with bands who wear their influences too visibly on their sleeve, and so I admired the variety in Self Driving Cars set. There was one tune where the beat and the drumming took me weirdly back to a Siouxie & The Banshees gig (trust me the band do not sound like Siouxie though), others had more of a stark more modern street edge.

The band worked into a nice tight set, helped in no small measure by some crisp drum work and solid musicianship all told.

One of the stand out tracks for me was one 3 of the band had worked up that day. It’s a keeper; a tale of a shocked spurned lover who has just discovered their other has been in an affair. Lead singer Adam is a born performer with a true expression.

The tracks all felt fresh on delivery, this one truly was fresh. Forget the very slight hesitancy, this was a tune which already stands up on its own merit in the set. I never get over feeling honoured to hear a tune no one else has heard. It’s kind of like stepping into virgin rainforest, only it’s in Halifax and without the 5 days canoe and hot sweaty leach filled hike to get there.

Self Driving Cars came across as lads just out to share their music to a few folk, to entertain and to have a good time. Look out for fresh track World Is Yours which is ready for imminent release.

It was also positive that the Self Driving Cars hung around and spoke with the punters (even very very drunk ones). It might be a small thing, and of course we come to hear the music and the bands can choose as they please. But its an opportunity- so many bands just chat with their mates or amongst themselves after the gig itself – take note, those musicians who talk with the audience afterwards also weave in memories.

So another band to look out for – Self Driving Cars, and a top Grayston Unity experience.

* words and dodgy images by a rather drunk Tiggerligger.