Sauce

Amid the seemingly endless sea of local bands I come across in my work, I would like to think it says something that these guys got my attention in ten seconds when I first saw them live. In the northern scene, they’ve stood out from their peers, and they’ve continued to do that with this release, which is why I’m thankful we can finally bring you a review of it.

Clearly, they’ve received a fair bit of support from Newstead College on this project (it would certainly explain that very strategically placed NC coffee cup in one of their interviews), but there’s nothing wrong with utilising advantages. The DVD menu, for example, looks terrific. On the whole, Rocking The High Seas demonstrates what’s possible when you use the best people for a job (despite a few embarrassing typos on the cover).

As several skits (and resulting outtakes) show, the guys clearly had a lot of fun making this. Shot in a pseudo-1920s vauderville style, the comic asides that pepper an interview with the band – including a “GRRR Guide To Heckling” - definitely raise a smile. A step-by-step guide to the band’s rock moves is also nicely done, and I’m pleased that the interview segments explain exactly why they chose to call themselves “GRRR”.

I’ll admit that I had approached Rocking The High Seas with a fair amount of trepidation, due to my grudge against bands and artists who deliberately make a point of their religious beliefs (I have no real explanation for this other than being an atheist). But you know what? It’s not about that – it’s about music. Was this stupid bias of mine put at ease? Thankfully, I can say yes.

TOM WILSON