Stone Them Crows/The Flying Alexanders at The Winchester Gate Salisbury 30/03/2012

Two of Southampton’s finest staged the perfect smash and grab raid in Salisbury recently.

The night started with The Flying Alexanders, and having been around for 20 years these boys know just what they are doing and Christ do they do it well.

Mitchell Ratcliffe (Red Snapper Photography)

Accessible, aggro-filled punk rock with a bit of an indie feel, their experience acted as a perfect foil for the straight up rock that was to follow.

Stone Them Crows are the band the local scene has been crying out for over the last few years. Walk up, plug in and turn it up to 11 rock and roll, the band has no pretensions about them and clearly love what they do and that, singularly, is what makes them so brilliant.

Looking like a history of heavy rock over the last 40years, when they hit their stride a couple of songs in they are a blur of leather, hair and perfect guitar solos.

The cherub faced frontman, looking like a young, pre ‘partying’ age Carl Barat pulls out a voice that belies his appearance. Deep and gravelly it sits atop guitarist Robin Savage’s riffs and solos perfectly.

With hints of Queens of the Stone Age, Jet and owing a massive debt to AC/DC (never a bad thing) Stone Them Crows are a band still finding their feet but clearly enjoying themselves whilst their doing it.

All in all the perfect way to spend a Friday night.