Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of what you're missing by living abroad, either to provoke a little homesick nostalgia, or to re-confirm your resolve to stay away. For some of the expat patrons of Downtown's After Eight club, the recent performance of rock band Portal might well have been a slice of life from back home: a four-piece guitar band, fronted by a buxom blonde, banging out rock tunes at high volume. The band did exactly what they said on the tin: laid down some classic rock tracks (plus a little reggae, blues and grunge), as well as a few personal compositions, and did so with tangible enthusiasm. Given the format, and the fact that the two founding members are themselves British, it would be fair to say this was a traditional British pub band experience - like it or not. Things got off to something of a slow start. British guitarist Rob was stuck in traffic, and from time to time the vocalist Lisa Skelhorn would pop her head out from between the curtains to apologize for the delay. In the crowd was Irishman Jonny Lynch, who had turned up on a tip from a friend. "They'd better be good, he said, nursing a beer and checking his watch. The origins of Portal lie in the meeting of singer Skelhorn with guitarist Rob. Some years ago they began to meet on her Maadi balcony to jam and write songs. From there, they got their first gig as a duet and formed a solid performing partnership. Their personal compositions include "Illusions and "Can't Stop, tracks that fall generally into the category of rock/pop, and show more than a germ of genuine writing talent. Later, the two were joined by bassist Khaled Salem, who was in the audience at Rob and Skelhorn's first gig. With a buzz cut and glasses, Salem looks more of an engineer than a rock star, and studies graphic design and pharmacy away from the adoring crowds. Inspired by Rob and Lisa's first performance, it was Salem who convinced the pair to expand the band to incorporate him. In Skelhorn's words: "Khaled hunted us down! Later on, the picture was completed with the arrival of drummer and mass communications student Mustafa Al-Kerdani. A while down the road to rock stardom (or at least a regular spot at their local), the band appears to have fused into a comfortable working unit. "We go out together and spend time together; we're like family, says Skelhorn. In fact, they even cook for each other, with Lisa making a particularly good Yorkshire pudding. Last week's performance at the After Eight was Portal's fifth at the venue, and they were supported by an enthusiastic clique of friends and followers. Newcomers to the band were drawn perhaps by the advertised list of rock and grunge music on offer: Janice Joplin, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay and Amy Winehouse, to name a few. For one fellow Brit in the audience, the set hit the spot full-square. "It's a nice change to hear some live music from back home, said Phil from Bristol. "I'm English, so some of these songs make me a bit homesick, at least for my CD collection. It's great stuff; and the singer's got a great pair of lungs. Portal give a performance that grabs your attention. This is in part due to Skelhorn's energetic dancing and swaying, but also due to the considerable volume issuing from the amps. If there was one major fault in the show, it lay in Skelhorn's growing insistence that the crowd join in the performance, calling on the assembled masses to click their fingers in time to "You Give Me Fever and elsewhere sing the chorus into a microphone held out for the purpose. At one point she called on "at least two girls to hit the dance floor for the next track. After a couple of minutes of such urgings, a handful of young ladies were produced, but they were clearly not in the mood for a groove. As Bristol Phil pointed out, "They're the ones getting paid to perform; they should do the work. I think they should save the audience participation stuff for their first gig at Wembley Arena. Whether Portal makes it to Wembley or not, they appear to be having a good time themselves. And they keep getting bookings, which is some measure of success. The band is hoping to perform at the SOS Music Festival in February 2009, where they plan to play more of their original music. As for the chances of hitting the big time, Skelhorn is realistic: "Let's give it a couple of years and see what happens, she says. "When me and Rob get together on the balcony, it works. As long as it continues to be this way, we will be around. To learn more about Portal, visit their website: www.myspace.com/portalegypt.
