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Gig Review - Either Way Events Presents CRY BABY, Bel Esprit, Havanas, Anamcara



Either Way Events returned to Verve bar on Thursday 14th December, hosting a night of up-and-coming talent from across the country.

Kicking the night off was Southampton five-piece Bel Esprit, who's brand of happy-go-lucky tunes and warmed the room through a series of catchy melodies and peppy vocals.

Although their sound is pleasant, all their songs are very upbeat and chirpy. To broaden their sound, the group should experiment with something a bit grittier and incorporate beefier bass lines.

 When the bass was accentuated, it elevated their sound, giving it a solid backbone that if used cleverly could provide their music with the refreshing edge it needs.




Up next was Havanas, whose eclectic sound combined elements from early 00s indie and classic rock with an intermittent undertone of pop-punk.

Their tracks were fuelled by bold vocals and catchy guitar riffs but could be heightened by bolder bass lines or an additional guitarist.

Main support for the evening came from York based band CRY BABY. Initially the group looked a little timid and nervous on stage, however as their set progressed they began to incorporate bigger riffs which gave their music a much needed stab of energy.

The rockier tracks in the set were infinitely better. The group looked more engaged and enlivened when they just relaxed and played something a bit noisy.

Unfortunately they do have a mild case of Catfish and the Bottlemen copy-cat syndrome, but it's mainly due to a lack of experience.

The group should take some time to revise some of their riffs and lyrics and really make them their own. Also indulge in some ballsy riffs and instrumentals wouldn't go a miss - the glimmers of rock that their set had was undoubtedly its greatest strength.



Headlining the night was Anamcara. Their catchy, bread and butter indie was overflowing with tongue-and-cheek charm and got the whole room bopping along (especially during their track 'Rock n Roll City').

Admittedly, some of their tracks were very akin to Arctic Monkeys, but yet again, they're a new and young band, so it's likely that they'll mature into their own individual sound.


There were some common weaknesses with all the bands, such as bass players not being used to their full potential or a lack of originality in some of the riffs, but this can be easily ironed out with time and experience.

All the bands' performances were good and showed a lot of promise. Once they've conquered these growing pains, they're sure to blossom into great additions to the indie pool.


FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC

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