Late November and December were a busy time for us at Last Stop, Christmas and New year keeps everyone busy but we were all swamped with gigging in our own bands, setting up our music tuition businesses and in one case learning to ride our brand new shiny motorcycle without the stabilisers one (sorry JR)! So we’ve had some gig reviews outstanding for a while and will be drip feeding them out over the next few weeks.
Our cohorts/sometime bandmates/co-conspirators at Liverpool Psychedelic Society had joined forces with London Psych promoters Otherside to arrange a gig in Londons Dalston Pub. It's a great venue, established on the circuit for a long time and has all the usual great sound system, lighting and list of luminaries that have trodden its stage.
Holy Springs describe themselves as lo-fi shoegazers and its not a bad sum up. They start off gently. There’s a definite 60s psychedelia coming through in their sound with garagey sounding chord changes but there’s a wave of fresher sounds layered onto. The metronomic and totally hypnotic drums keep things surging gently forward whilst vocals almost hidden deep inside their mix half hint and half deliver pretty melodies that linger in the mind after they finish.
It is a gentle but mesmerising experience, the band are subtle but insistent and their sound is full of psych references yet original. Repeated baselines and constant drums let the guitar float off to create soundscapes and it’s easy to get into a musical trance state listening to them.
Pete Bassman, the legendary Spacemen3 bass player is in his element tonight. There’s a large appreciative crowd who’ve come to see his solo performance. He’s accompanied by a myriad of music tech, effects pedals and noise generating gizmos - some of which he says he’s just starting to learn to use as equipment failures had forced him to replace failed gear just before the gig. It makes no odds to his sound, its one of the best performances I’ve seen him give (and that is a high bar).
His solo style hints at deep blues based songs with a directness of melody and structure that is then wrapped in a darkly shimmering orchestration. Emotions are kept contained in every song but this restraint adds incredible depth and builds up the intensity of each track. Every note sung or played on guitar seem chosen deliberately and its a masterclass in front of a crowd held transfixed.
Holy Springs:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holyspringsband
Bandcamp: https://holysprings.bandcamp.com/
Pete Bassman
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