Haven is finding a way to the place of their name but the map is not yet complete

It’s a Monday night and students must be recovering from the weekend’s enjoyment duty, a stay-in study night is rather doubtful, as the only explanation for the crowd being economical for Haven’s showcasing their growing material. They are one of the bands tipped for success in a short-term if the buzz is to be believed; on the strength of this show, it might be a while yet.

In a soundbite, an uneven performance. Haven riff off with a selection of songs that are on the less impressive side, progressing to the more engaging songs and finishing with a furious clout. And all that in some 40 minutes without encores. Quite a display but the band needs sorting out few details.

Dressed in all-black they look mean-ish, their performance is somewhat distant as if to project moodiness and, after a cautious start, delivered with zest to turn it magnificent. But, all the way through, singer/guitarist Gary Briggs, appears to be on a lookout for a charisma. Confidence is something this band could do with and more gigging will firmly establish their onstage feet. Right now this is personality-free stage.

The opening 20 minutes suit their ‘image’ to a tailored-fit by being midi-paced and in search of a more optimum expression. It eventually arrives in a song entitled ‘Like You’, marrying their love for West Coast sounds of the past with a more contemporary setting, more engaging melody and adventurous sonic approach. From Embrace-structuring they move toward freer, Gomez-like span.

‘Say Something’ is even more passionate and it might suggest a general aim of creating epic-rock; Haven end on a high note, with the current single, ‘Let It Live’, a fine slice of pop-rock without falling for the acousto-variety that appears to be ruling for far too long. Briggs’s co-founder is Nat Wason and the two met in a Penzance’s record shop eyeing the same Quicksilver Messenger Service’s album, ‘Happy Trails’, neither could afford. They joined their pennies to purchase it that led to this outfit.

That early influence got lost somewhere on the way to Haven’s basing itself in Manchester (1999) but, if the three named songs are an indication, there is a prospect for some fine tuning. The feeling is that the word got out too soon on this young and confused quartet. The future beckons nevertheless and it is in their own chords.