Let's kick off by saying that I know it's late November and outside it is freezing cold,  absolutely pissing it down in fact, but by Christ was this venue cold. 

The first band up were Stoke's Hollywood Tease and you know exactly what you're going to get with these young pups - all big hair and tight leopardskin strides clinging to their twiglet legs. As a mate commented, it's like going back over twenty years to Bogiez in Cardiff and he wasn't wrong. It was like Dave Lee Roth and da Crue had never happened. They obviously were having a ball and amusing themselves so, on that front, good luck to 'em. I'd rather see a bunch of posers doing what they want with guitars than some shoe gazers or X factor wannabees but boys, next time you travel 200 miles to play a gig don't forget to bring some songs! 

Next up were New Generation Superstars who seemed to go down quite well with the sparce crowd but were really suffering from the sound out front as it seemed to be getting worse not better. A rather subdued performance I thought and only really got going  for the last couple of songs.

On to the headliners Vain, a band who get tagged as the band that grunge tried to kill and playing with the full original line up for the last time in the UK. Way back, these boys came over supporting Skid Row and stole the show and I haven't clapped eyes on them since. So, with an absence of almost twenty years and with little fanfare the band took the stage and blasted into 'Secrets', looking lean and mean and ready to rock the house but, sadly, that bad sound I mentioned wasn't getting any better (which was a real shame to be honest). Apparently the onstage sound was decent but the front of house was suffering to the point that there seemed very little clarity at all and some people actually left claiming it to be the worst sound they'd ever heard. 

Anyway, Davy seemed in good spirits and seemed genuinely pleased to see that there was still people out there who wanted to see his band with very little publicity and promotion. It was a treat to see and hear them sounding like a great band banging out tracks like 'Beat The Bullet',  'Who's Watching You', 'Secrets', 'Smoke And Shadows' and 'Down For The Third Time'.  Thankfully by the time Davy introduced 'Beat The Bullet' you could actually hear Scott and West and what licks they were playing with some clarity. Sadly, it was then all over just after 11pm - the lights gave that flash to let the band know the disco is looming and to wrap it up which always baffles me; surely the band should take precedence over a bloody disco?

The band were just warming up (even if the venue wasn't). I was disappointed they didn't get to play 'Without You' - I could have got a lighter out to wave in the air and it might just have warmed me up. Thankfully Vain are still a great band and any pre-show doubts I had that this was going to be a poor performance were quickly swept aside and I'm glad to say Davy and co. still have the chops. If you can catch a show then do it before they're gone forever. Adios Frisco dudez - Swansea loves ya!