22nd September 2015, festival season is all but gone and it’s time to embrace the sweaty venues once more. Kicking off the festival blues tonight is come back kings Ugly Kid Joe, touring in wake of their new album Uglier Than They Used To Be which is set for release in October. The venue is local night club Sound Circus, known for hosting events for the alternative community, and more recently pulling in some pretty big headliners.

 

First on the bill is Richards/Crane. A project by Ugly Kid Joe frontman Whitefield Crane and ex-Godsmack guitarist Lee Richards. The duo are joined by another member, guitarist Tim McMillan, and together they have created a sound that is far from the upbeat, funky rock sounds that make UKJ. It’s a very chilled out start to the evening, the vocal harmonies are all delivered with ease and despite the dramatic change in sound the room watches in awe. Crane knows how to please a crowd, and although he’s sitting down accompanied by two acoustic guitars, he still brings bucket loads of presence to the stage. During instrumentals he chats with the crowd, the atmosphere is rather like watching your friends perform, singing and joking with you.

 

After some problems with feedback, Aussie band Hailmary tear up the beautiful aura with their heavy, ground shaking riffs and rough vocals. Richards/Crane was a pleasant surprise but this was the sort of music everyone expected to hear. More people have filtered in now, making their way to the stage, where one enthusiastic bunch of gig goers are already head banging like whiplash isn’t a thing. The lads bring a whole new energy to the stage, with just as much character as the previous act, but in an entirely different way. With a well put together set list, they perform with ease, moving in sync with each other onstage and inviting the crowd to numerous high fives and handshakes. Hailmary is not a name I have heard before, but with a set like that it’s one I hope to hear again soon.

 

Finally, it’s almost the moment everyone’s been waiting for. Building up to Ugly Kid Joe’s arrival onstage, the crowd is filling the small dancefloor, flooding the bar and spilling out to the merch. The band have done well pulling in a hefty mob in such a small town, but the atmosphere says these fans will follow the band anywhere and have long waited to finally see rock’n’rollers UKJ play. The lights drop and when they are turned back on, the band are onstage playing Neighbours from their debut America's Least Wanted. Their set is a party from start to finish, even when playing new track She’s Already Gone people are joining in, despite the song hardly being a week old. The jump from opening with Richards/Crane to Ugly Kid Joe is pleasantly insane, but Crane still brings an incredible energy to the stage, still always involving his fans. It’s clear to see even the band are enjoying playing onstage with each other, and those vibes feed back to us off stage. Towards the end of their set, the band get a pit going, which lasts for the entire encore. When they close with Everything About You even the bouncers and bartenders are bobbing their heads and grinning. UKJ’s come back has been a winner here in the South and has not failed to bring the festival type unity and carnage we all crave over the winter.