Kerbgrinder pull off a last minute marvel.
Playing the second stage in the Darwin Suite of Bloodstock is hard enough due to the fierce competition that will often be presented to you against the main stage bands and their inevitably higher popularity. Playing the second stage and also being a last minute band is doubly harder. Filling in for the motorway-trapped band Kingsize Blues who were originally booked for this stage, Herbgrinder have this task before them. Luckily they do manage to pull off a short, but sweet set that impresses all those assembled in the Darwin Suite.
A mixture of upbeat hard rock stylings and fast beats with the chirpy and almost optimistic sounding vocals of their singer/drummer combined with some bizarre lyrics ("I'll change my phone") makes this a bizarrely unique but quite enjoyable overall set.
Overall, despite a somewhat expected muted reaction from the audience at the beginning of the set (which thankfully grew more appreciative towards the end of the set), this band is very impressive - mostly due to the very last minute nature of their set. The fact that they can pull together a set that leaves this reviewer impressed at such short notice is a suitably testament to this band's live skill.