Hold Fast

Check out the latest swell GOOD BLADES music feature with HOLD FAST! For more on the Good Blades check em out here...

Words - Lloyd Brown, Good Blades
Photos - Sam Neill, Good Blades

Hold Fast - Sand vaginas and Spanish chicken

In typical Good Blade fashion we left everything to the last minute, sinking pints and watching the waves, and nattering to a couple of experimental bands of goodness, we were in our own little world. Luckily it wasn’t long until we headed out for one of Sam Neill’s many cigarettes and we met Hold Fast. We had been recommended them by Joel (Pompey promoter of Greatness) and Weston Doll of the Soho Dolls (aka lovely Steve) and after seeing them play a short set at the Cellars in Portsmouth I knew they were on to something.

We went for a wander around the seedy side of Weymouth, with billboards exclaiming ‘slippery lady night’ and the like, myself and Roberta (Vox/Synths) chatted about the band and venue whilst scrags (something much worse than a slag, picture if you will a zombie chav slag and then make her less attractive but more desperate) scragged it up in mini skirts and faces of thunder. Dodging the girls in thigh high boots and the glaring bouncers, probably trying to remember where they had seen that guy with the Black Keys t-shirt before. We headed into a Spa where I started to (foolishly) mock a very heavy set security guard for having a gun sling holster for his walkie talkie, Roberta corrected me and explained how valuable such things are to guards and I nodded in agreement although puzzled why she was holding eggs, turned out she just wanted to hold them. With a snack in our stomachs we headed back to the venue and finally I got to see this band perform.

Counting such influences as P J Harvey and Joy Division you can start to see the skeleton of the band, but the flesh they add to it goes beyond their influences into a whole other realm of musical delight, the result, punchy electro songs yet tranquil. The sound drifts from elegantly sung lyrics with soothing keys to hard hitting Electro Rock in the blink of an eye, you’ll find your self enthralled by the bands energy, the lads (Tom – Guitar/Sampler, Toby – Drums, Ben – Bass) are tighter than a drum whilst Roberta sings lyrics and hits the keys, accompanied sometimes by a megaphone which is used to great affect.

This was the first time in years of going to gigs nearly every day, up and down the country, where I’ve been speechless at how tight, original and generally fantastic a band was, it popped into my mind then and I cant find a better word, this band are special.

After an absolutely blinding set we headed for the beach to as the band had requested, have a deep chat, climbing over a foot high wall I managed to rip a hole in my well worn jeans that managed to display my crotch with instant and spectacular affect, it was quickly noticed by the band, covering my decency by hiding behind an ever handy photographer we sat down and discussed the life of the band whilst making a sand vagina.

Most bands are very snobbish, rarely a band will open up but sometimes bands become hilarious after a gig, the tension of the gig is gone and they’re chilled, always the best time to catch a band, hold fast were in this state of mind, with the lapping waves and random dogs sniffing at us we chatted.

Apart from the beach feeling like as Ben called it ‘a damp weetabix’ it was a very pleasant chilled atmosphere, perfect after a gig.
The band have been gigging together since 2006 which is obvious in their skill at playing and the tight rhythm section this apparently formed through osmosis, Ben also remarked that Hold Fast is basically a vagina with teeth, images of having to read gothic novels at school remerged, not pleasant at all. I can assure you, Hold Fast is not a vagina with teeth and this is in fact a fallacy. They’re actually a funny, charming bunch of people but unfortunately much of the interview is lost amidst waves, wind and drunken shouts, most of the questions got redirected to me which was quite puzzling, and showed the band had great mind controlling powers. In a bid to topple those London promoters that make bands bring an obscene amount of people to a gig before they can even break even, Ben came up with a cunning plan, ‘bring a Lego box full of 50 peoples ashes’ absolute genius! (Ed) <Good Blades does not condone disturbing graves and the dead, even if it is for the greater good of music >
Luckily some parts of the interview remained clear on my Dictaphone, probably thanks to the shelter from wind by a passing dog, here are some snippets

“there are 18 polo’s to a packet ... where are fruit polo’s, refresher polo’s nowadays?

“smelt like Spanish chicken .... I split up with my girlfriend .... I felt sublime loss with every forkful and tasty tomato taste

“You know cats wear collars, how about they wear watches around their necks? What if your lost and cant find you way, pick up a cat, its 12’oclock at least you know the time, all cats should be fitted with digital watches”

Hold Fast are looking to tour with another Portsmouth based band at the moment, unlike other bands they don’t seem to be rushing things to get into the spotlight. They’re crafting songs, building up a strong fan base and doing dam well, they’ve got this Good Blade hooked that’s for sure, I recommend you go to www.myspace.com/holdfast find their next gig and get yourself down the front.

Lloyd, Good Blades