It's Thursday night and 5 piece midlands-based Indie/Rock band Blacktop Coalition are sitting in the pub waiting to play their set. (They're second to play tonight out of the three bands lined up to support Scottish group The Draw.) As people begin to pour into the pub, the band sit together and have some drinks, welcoming friends and family who have come to see them tonight. The Talbot in Stoke is long and quite narrow, with tables set out at one end and a small stage at the other, which doesn't make for a great view when everyone congregates around the live music at the end of the pub, but the size of the 'venue' (a bigger room lay empty upstairs) makes for a warm, intimate atmosphere.

After a while the first band set up onstage, and although almost everyone in the pub gathered around to watch them, they didn't get the best response. They played a set of similar sounding grunge-inspired songs, and while they weren't bad, they were just about depressing enough to create an audience of uninterested punters. The fact that the lead singer's style was more attention-grabbing than their set (with pointy boots, tight jeans and a cowboy hat) doesn't really bode well for the music side of things.

After a short break, Blacktop Coalition took to the stage, and their brand of indie music mixed with old school rock 'n' roll immediately received a better reaction from the crowd. The band played well together, and despite a few technical problems that didn't really get sorted out, they produced a good set that showcased their ability to play an assortment of songs which each offered something different. Front man Jacko sang enthusiastically as he shook his tambourine, and the rest of the band (Chris on lead guitar, Brendan on rhythm guitar, Mark on bass and Joe on drums) played just as intently. It's hard to believe by watching them that this particular line up hasn't been going for long, (the band only recently got in new drummer Joe after he applied to an ad in the paper) as all the tracks were played with a confident approach. Their set list included the songs 'Jeffries', 'Living in the City', 'Satellite' , '20 Winks', 'Free Bird' and the one that probably went down the best with the audience, 'Carousel'. This is a good paced track with a catchy riff and lyrics such as, "let the good times roll, baby" that reinforce the idea of good-time old school Rock 'n' Roll. After about 30 minutes, they finished their set to a round of cheering and applause; another success for the local band.

Contact Blacktop Coalition

Rating Out of 10: