Son of Dave, The Surgens, The Dirty Backbeats, The Displacements + Chucklevision Sound System and DJ Stone Cat

Panic in the streets of Leicester! It is almost time for the doors to open, the headliner isn't here - but another band is. What the heck let's put them on and the devil take the hindmost.

So the eighth Snake Drive opened with a surpise addition to the bill in the form of the very excellent The Displacements. These guys gave us a Beatley blast complete with violin bass. Meanwhile downstairs the Stone Cat Blues band were settling into the DJ booth and letting rip with one GnR track after another. Blues metal drifted up and Snake Drive continued to surprise the unsuspecting passers by.

Next up came The Dirty Backbeats whipping their new bass player into shape. "We'll only play for 20 minutes" they promised. But the crowd wouldn't let them leave and pinned to the stage they shot their garage rocket fuel out time after time. It was difficult not to feel that you were witnessing history - but the DBs are almost always like that!

Next came The Surgens, their lab coats newly soaked with blood. John Henry was a saw playing, megaphone screaming madman by the time these guys had finished with him. Twisted rock and roll at its very best.

Finally Son of Dave arrived put one mic to his foot, one to the shaker in his right hand and blasted harp and vocals into his bullet mic. One man, not even a very big man, stood alone on stage and yet polyrhythmic and polyphonic masterpieces issued forth. Stopping only briefly to strangle the soundman for failing to follow orders he amazed and astonished the Snake Drive audience. This is nu blues at its best - weird sounds, weird instrumentation and a fucking sharp suit.

Now it was time for a dance and once again the Chucklevision boys didn't disappoint.