The Strokes and White Stripes have made a successful Atlantic crossing so it's inevitable that others of their ilk will arrive in search of kudos and crowdsurfers. The Pattern hail from Oakland, California, and their psychedelic, punk-pop sound owes not a little to bands like MC5, The Action and 13th Floor Elevators.
But instead of striking out from their musical reference points, The Pattern seem content to stay firmly within the boundaries of their chosen genre.
There weren't enough punters at the Shelter to make up a moshpit but The Pattern pressed on regardless, tossing out two and three-minute tunes which, though energetic and enjoyable, stuck too closely to the same retro blueprint. Christopher has that punky, hyperventilating vocal style, while guitarists Jason and Andy have a good ear for an effective riff. Apart from the odd Mod moment, The Pattern remained true to their name, and when they finished their set after barely half an hour, it felt like 30 minutes of sonic wallpaper.
Maybe next time, when they've built a bigger audience and moved the music onwards, we might see a better Pattern emerging.
