Well then, I can say hand on heart, that it has been many many years where I have gone to a gig and not seen any of the bands before. I had of course heard of them, but for whatever reason hadn’t had the opportunity to see them. Anyway, kicking of the evening was Peter Murphy from Hillhouse. In his own words “Anti folk agit-pop outfit Hillhouse. We do songs”. And songs he did, 30 minutes ish of acoustic folky punk, superb guitar playing,complimenting his voice perfectly, a lot of angst, anti-political feel and heartfelt lyrics to set the atmosphere for the rest of the evening. I look forward to seeing the plugged-in set from the band, someone to watch out for. Oh, and a nice little addition toward the end of the set with Phil from Hoonose stepping in to singalong. Great set.
Next up we have a now 2-piece outfit in the form of Hoonose, Phil Ware on vocals and guitar, with his daughter Olivia on drums. Some might say a deeply political musical outlook on life, with anti-capitalist stance, the desire to see people treated properly, and the sadness of how we are treating the planet. Not sure what genre others might place these two, but in my opinion, strong leanings toward the punk ethos. I guess we all have our own ideas where music is placed. Anyhow, blistering guitar work from Phil, changing styles throughout the set, yet maintaining a fluid approach to their ideals and musical sense. Livvy keeping the beat alive in unison on drums, the occasional glance at each other with smiles, shows how in tune father and daughter are. A true joy to see. Hard to believe at times this is only a 2-piece band, the sound, power and energy they put into their music gave the impression of a much bigger outfit. Top top band, definitely on my list to see again.
A band I’d heard a lot about and had been waiting to see for a while Snakes Everywhere. Wow, sometimes, things are worth the wait. A stunning set, grungy, punky, rocky rock noise, Kate who I know from Sheepy with exquisite vocals, intertwining in harmony with Andy. Astonishing guitar and bass work, banging drum noise, mixing together like a finely cooked recipe giving this band plaudits wherever they play, and rightly so. Easily in the top half of my favourite bands list. The only downside, the set was too short !! the chemistry in the band is plain to see, a flawless musical treat and a band I hope to see again soon. Yup, well worth the wait.
Following fairly swiftly on, all the way from Wigan, I give you Stetsons Electric. Prior to this, I had no knowledge whatsoever about them, no idea what to expect. 3 young lads amble up onstage, little bit of banter, then, BANG. Quite frankly an astonishing set of musicians, sublime lead guitar, perfectly timed drum work, held together, by what I consider to be one of the best bass players on the circuit. As the set went on, the lads just got stronger, tighter and louder. Totally blown away, and a tad frustrated that I’d not seen them before, that will change I know. Again, one of those bands that causes a slight drop of the jaw for all the right reasons. Exceptionally, band and set.
Not knowing what to expect from the next set from Def Neon, I stood back, as I watched Nicky and Emily set up the gear, keyboards, odd looking guitar type thing, lighting etc. this was gonna be interesting. And lo and behold, it was. Robotic sounds, high pitch synth, voice distortion, barbaric bass. Sublime vocals from Emily, all put together to transport me back to the experimental days of the 80’s, yes I’m that old. This was fecking stunning. The sounds, the look, the lighting. Above all, the music, the fusion of early synth pop, new wave, punk, rock, blended into one unique soundscape from 2 kids who clearly have a grasp on music, and what it is all about. I said to Emily after the set, that it took me 2 songs to get it, one of those moments where it just all falls into place. And considering who they have supported over recent years, it’s no wonder they are making a name for themselves, and of course the requests from bands for their support. A band that needs to be seen and heard for opinions to be made, and in my opinion, rather bloody good.
And where do we start with the final showstopper in OORYA. I thought long and hard on how to describe OORYA, Steph’s alter ego is probably one the most impassioned performers I have seen in decades. Her take on life is 2nd to none; her feeling and emotive outpouring is felt by all present. She asks that we embrace who we are, love everyone and be aware that we are all “key-workers” in this journey of ours we call life. Steph uses her mindset to an incredibly high degree, engaging with the audience at every turn, some scripted, much ad libbed, they we she uses her huge array of diction, to get cross, what others may not be able to do. Some might say she is a little odd, eccentric even scary. Me, I think she is oratory genius. She speaks to your heart and mind at the same time. Then, when she has decided she’s finished talking, the singing voice crashes through the microphone, the vocal range is summat ya don’t hear every day, the pitch perfect lyrics, the speed, the varying levels of power never wain through the set. Occasionally, it can be difficult to describe a performance, I’ve tried her, but OORYA is definitely one to go and see for ya self. Very unique and very unforgettable. Certainly not a set I will forget in a hurry.
So there ya go, 4 bands I’d not seen before, 4 bands I will see again. Yet another reason why we do this music thing, not just as a reviewer, or gig goer or fan, but to understand the massive talent we have out there, talent missed by mass media.
Words: Johnny, Photos: Johnny, Adrain Wharton
Links:
Hoonose: https://www.facebook.com/Phuknose
Stetson Electric: https://www.facebook.com/thestetsonselectric
Def Neon: https://www.facebook.com/defneonmusic
Snakes Everywhere: https://www.facebook.com/snakeseverywhereband
Hillhouse: https://www.facebook.com/hillhouseuk
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