Those Pompey folk looking for a quiet Tuesday night drink would wisely have avoided the Edge Of The Wedge venue on this particular night, and opted for one of the many pub saloon bars along the strip. When the Teesside band known as The Chapman Family hit town, its not so much a case of lock up your daughters, as dig out your earplugs.
The Chapmans may have a name that suggests they might be something of a twee and comfy Northern variation of the Osmonds, but anyone expecting that would have been in for a shock, to say the least. These guys like to make a noise, and that goes as much for decibel level as their vociferous standing up on issues like the political climate, spending cuts, social unrest or the state of todays music industry. Midway through their 18-date UK tour, they hit Portsmouth like fire from a gun. Theres no faffing about with these guys, as guitars thrash, drums pound and vocals jar the nerves; its as gritty and post-punk as you can get.
While the look may have changed - a newly shaven-headed Kingsley, the addition of an extra guitarist and a new drummer and bassist - since their last outings, their set, however, still resounds with the same brand of angst, energy and fierceness that this years debut album Burn Your Town proffered. Tonight they combine a mix of the old, like former single release and explosion that is All Fall, the distorted guitar and thundering of 1000 Lies, alongside new songs such as No More Tears, each tearing through the room with full-on sonic aggression. All the while vocalist Kingsley struts, scowls and snarls as he hits a synth with brooding menace. The darkness of Sound Of The Radio with tortured vocal and full of bruised emotion overlay a swaggering blend of angular guitar sounds and confidence that marks The Chapman Family down as an unnerving presence, but one that grabs the attention to be seen and heard.