23rd April 2004 - Yeti @ Lux Club, Wigan

With fellow bandmate Pete Doherty busy performing his top 10 hit on Top Of The Pops, The Libertines bassist John Hassall has a day spare to take his own side-project on the road for the first time to Wigan's best-kept secret, The Lux Club. With rumours finally quashed that all of The Libertines could show instead of his own band, the crowd are confounded - but judging by Yeti's own set, are not disappointed in the slightest. Yeti are an excellent entity away from the shadow cast by their bigger relative - think of the lineage of classic rock with vocal harmony groups over the years, like The Beatles and The Kinks mixed with dub, ska & a large chunk of the current crop of Liverpudlian bands attempting to shoulder barge their way in the door like The Stands & The Basement.

During Hassall's time at the side of the stage, he's obviously had time in his mind to perfect his own ideas for a band - and as a leader, he's effective - his high vocals and suspicious glare adding a touch of menace to the three-guitar & rhythm section band that belies their sunny tunes. Set highlight is undoubtedly 'The Forgotten City', an earthy dub groove, with pathos-ridded vocals and an underlying sexual guitar grind - and it generally follows that their better songs are the ones channelled from their London homes rather than their adopted Liverpool sound, which at times comes off a bit like a bad comedy accent, or worse still - like Cast. However, on this St. Geroge's Day, Yeti prove that there's more talent reserves in the bands of England.

Dan Thomas
johnnyalpha01@yahoo.co.uk

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