The county of Essex has come in for an awful lot of stick over the years. Corny Essex girl jokes aside, they've produced some of pop's finest bands, from Depeche Mode and Blur to Underworld and Prodigy. This fresh-faced Essex boy threesome is making a bid to join that county elite - and are not afraid to make some noise in their quest.
In this dark, earthy venue which was filled to the gills with a startlingly young gaggle of music fans, the lads made their point pretty well. Frontman Dave McPherson put in a cool, composed performance from the word go. He's not the type of performer to make a fuss and do crowd-pleasing acrobatics, but calmly took his spot and did his work conscientiously and with understated vigour.
He has a pliant voice which ranges from harmonious falsetto to menacing growls a la Slipknot, and his guitar work is fluent and impressive. His words to the crowd were laced with a refreshing barrow-boy cheekiness, and his attitude was anything but posturing rock star.
Bandmate Joe Morgan is the resident eye candy with a madman streak, bounding about the stage using his guitar in the style of an electric hedge trimmer, while Simon Taylor was your typical drummer- sat at the back, shrouded in darkness but doing his thing very well.
This trio's sound is crunching, but with plenty of thoughtful lulls which make it intelligent and engaging music. The boys whipped the moshpit into a lurching frenzy, and the crowdsurfer patrol had their work cut out. The fresh-faced crowd knew every lyric from Inme's newly-released album - a fanbase of angst-ridden teenagers is definitely not one to be sniffed at. It was an accomplished, mature performance - this latest Essex export is one to watch.
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