Ben Gamblin Online - Blog: Oxjam Gig @ The Bitter End

Oxjam Gig @ The Bitter End

09 Oct '07, 22:24

The Bitter End bar in Romford was the venue for a small Oxjam / Phoenix Sessions gig last Saturday (06/10/07), where headliner Tim Ten Yen took to the stage, supported by three other acts.

I'd never been to such a small gig before. The Bitter End is only a small venue and there cannot have been any more than a couple of hundred people in there. To say it was an experience is certainly true. I had a great evening.

Blue Spring started off the official line up at around 8pm. These guys were loud. Really loud. At some points it did feel like my brain was resonating with some of the notes. This was screaming rock music, and not really my cup of tea. But after they were done, the music was much more my style with sets from Dellas and WIMM, all unsigned but talanted bands.

However, the act that myself and friend Charlie (thanks for the invite) had gone to see was a guy called Tim Ten Yen. Signed to Fleet Street Records, this guy certainly has the potential to create quite a strong underground following with his catchy indie-pop style. For this performance, we had managed to get within about 6 feet of the stage and so could really appreciate the intimate atmosphere of the venue. Tim Ten Yen surprised me with a highly energetic dance routine which I wasn't expecting based on his suited appearance, but was certainly worthwhile. He put a lot into his set, and it definitely paid off.

By the end of the evening, on leaving the bar, I would barely hear anything, but Tim Ten Yen's songs were drilled into my brain. I've now downloaded his single from eMusic, and it's also available of iTunes or from HMV.

All I think now is, wouldn't it be amazing if this guy, at some time in the not to distant future, manage to secure a Top 40 hit. Then I can say 'I was there near beginning'.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on Saturday, but did take some low quality pictures on my mobile phone. These are available now in the Photo Albums section. I'm actually quite pleased at how some of these came out!

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