The Kinetiks' verdict

IN AN attempt to see how well Rock Bandcorresponds to the live music experience, the Irish Timesinvited Meteor award-nominated indie rockers The Kinetiks to put the game to the test.

Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Gaz Harding and drummer Paul Donohoe are quick to admit they aren't big gamers, but the marriage of music and computers was too curious for the lads to resist.

After some teething problems, the band members got to grips with their instruments, and Harding says he is pleasantly surprised. "I thought it was pretty cool. It takes a while to suss out what's going on but it's a lot easier than picking up a real instrument once you get into it. When you go through the different difficulty settings, it starts to get more frantic and a bit more like the real thing.

"At first, I was all fingers and thumbs, like I was when I started playing guitar, but then the foot started tapping, the head started bopping and I got quite into it. It's obviously not the real thing, but when you strap the guitar on, you start to get a feel for it. It's fairly light, but once you get used to it you can throw shapes and move around like you would with a real one," he said.

Drummer Donohoe says that although it is completely different from the real deal, playing the Rock Band drums was enjoyable all the same.

"When I started getting used to it, it was quite funny. It's like being in a band because when somebody makes a mistake you start looking around to see what happened, like we would in a normal rehearsal."

Donohoe says it could encourage would-be musicians to get involved in the live scene.

"It's definitely something that could get kids into playing drums. I remember when I was growing up banging sticks against a pillow because I didn't have a drum kit. This is surely a better way to get kids interested in playing music," he said.

When the Guitar Heroseries hit the market, some music purists said people should drop the games and start playing real instruments instead. Harding, however, believes that anything which gets people more interested in playing instruments is a good thing.

"Bringing music into the home can only be a good thing and it shouldn't matter how you do it, whether it be a game, on the radio or a music video on TV. Once you're getting the music out there, it can only be good news.

"There are bands, like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, that a lot of people and a lot of kids wouldn't have heard of. If nothing else it's a great avenue to get music to a bigger audience," he says.