Heaven's Basement @ Metro, London

Heaven's Basement. A band that were once Roadstar, and before that they were Hurricane Party, but now, without any doubt they are Heaven's Basement.

That's the brief outline on who the sleazy, dirty malcontents that strut onto the stage tonight at Metro on London's Oxford Street are. They have the swagger of old hands, which for a band which are supposedly very new might confused the casual observer, but this is Roadstar, the same band, just new songs and a new name.The years together have bonded this band, and a name change and new material hasn't diminished that. They rule the stage, and the audience with the easy hand of a child caressing a loved toy. Richie Heavenz knows how to whip the crowd up, knows how to control them, and knows that they have the material to back up the swagger and belief that they have on stage.

The material is good, not necessarily the best on the planet, but it's material that are firmly positioning Heaven's Basement as one of the premiere up and coming rock bands on the UK circuit today, which is kind of ironic in a way, what with the same lineup winning the Best Newcomer Award from Classic Rock Magazine in 2006 before the name change.

Tonight shows that rock n roll isn't dead in London, and that a British band is still able to draw a crowd, a good one at that, even on gloomy Tuesday night.

Listening to 'Tear Your Heart Out' perhaps tells more stories than the band could ever actually tell...