After winning the Robin 2 Battle of the Bands last year, Mr Derry have been causing quite a stir on the Midlands music circuit so I went along to see what all the fuss is about.

I turned up at the Flapper and Firkin to find out that the doors had been delayed from the 8pm, stated on the Mr Derry website, to 8:30. I went for a quick pint and then returned to be told that they still weren't ready and to come back at 9pm.

When I was finally allowed in I found out that the opening act, Second Sun Rising, weren't playing - for reasons unknown to me. However, this is where the disappointment stopped as London based band, My Luminaries took to the stage. By this point the small cavern-like room was full, and getting hotter by the minute. The band had a real look about them, long scruffy hair, shirt, tie and drainpipe jeans. I was slightly nervous that they would be one of those bands that looked the part but their music wouldn't stand up to it. Luckily I was wrong. The multi-instrumentalist guitarist/keyboard player, Dylan Perryman and Bassist brother (I presume), Saul Perryman had a real vibe of modesty about them, while front man James Ewers oozed charisma. The music, which could be compared to that of Razorlight or Coldplay with hints of The Beatles, was dynamic, intelligent and powerful. The thumping drums of Sam Stopford drove the songs to climax, but he also knew exactly where to leave bits out. For a four piece, they can make an awful lot of sound with bass distortion, keyboards, guitars, pounding drums and four part vocals. There was a feeling of familiarity, where I felt like I could sing along to songs that I'd never heard before. Having recently signed to Writeabout/V2 I'm pretty sure this band are set to go big.

After a fairly long change over and a long wait at the bar for me, the time came for Mr Derry to take the spotlight. They started with a charming down beat song called Sweet Voice, with singer Joni sat at a keyboard, the ambient glow of a lamp, featuring a picture of a 50's pinup model, lighting her face. As an intro to the band, I could only compare them to The Zutons. As the song drew to an end, there was a messy swap around as they removed the keys and mic stands to allow Joni to move around and get the crowd going. The next number was track 2 from their new EP (Dirty Line Dancing), called The Graveyard Song. Not as depressing as it sounds! This one got the crowd moving with the foot stomping beat and rock 'n' roll guitar licks. However, listening back to the track on the EP it somehow doesn't have the same energy as live. The set continued with 'Millie Dog' also taken from the EP. A nice beginning with a wide variety of percussion and slowly including other instruments to build it up. Unfortunately Joni's vocals were sometimes lost during the set, but the lads backing vocals were a nice touch and Guitarist Tom Coyne had a great husky rock n roll edge to his voice. They had a good range of songs, with nothing sounding too similar. One minute it was real rock n roll and the next it was almost folk rock, with a hint of blues. Although, I feel they were a little too brave to invite such a great band to play before them, as it was a tough act to follow and didn't leave any room for error. But the main problem I found was that their style would appeal to an older audience, and unfortunately there are plenty of older, more seasoned musicians doing the same thing a lot better.

The EP, Dirty Line Dancing, which was recorded with the winnings from the Robin 2 Battle of the Bands, doesn't really have the same energy to it. It doesn't make you want to get up and dance as much. The actual production and mix let down the otherwise infectious songs, and it might be the quality you'd expect from a live EP or good demo. It sounds thin compared to the relatively full sound that they produced live and Joni's vocals are sometimes too quiet against a fairly loud guitar sound. Although, being self-released, you have to give them credit as it is a far better attempt then most local bands. I would like to hear the next recording they do, after they've had a chance to tour and mature as a band, and hopefully with the financial backing of a label to help bring the production up to scratch. I think with a little more time and experience this band will be ripe for the picking.