Skip to main content

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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Track of the Week - Sarajevo - The K's

Merseyside natives The K's kicked off 2018 by announcing that they had been signed to Republic Music Management. With a handful of sold-out headline shows already under their belt, their tongue-and-cheek indie tunes are earning them a loyal fan base and plenty of buzz. Their debut single 'Sarajevo' is an infectiously catchy and utterly charming track. The vocals are akin to a more in-tune Jamie T, giving their witty lyrics a warm ambiance.  The upbeat melody gives a nod to early 2000s indie, but the ferocious riffs and hearty bass lines give it plenty of originality.  The track has already achieved half a million streams on Spotify and it's a sure bet that there's bigger and better things on the horizon for The K's. FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

demos or my nightmare? - CULT LUST demo review

Indie gigs have changed. Gone are the days when you danced or bopped along to the likes of Swim Deep  or Peace , indie kids want to mosh. Hence the birth of Cult Lust,  a ferocious fusion of fuzzy guitar and relentless percussion,that creates a heavy lo-fi sound. It's called skuz-pop - don't worry, I had to do google it too! Just imagine a band who's primary concern is making loud, gritty, grungy tunes. Despite only forming a few weeks ago, the band have already produced a two track demo; promoted via their active and bountiful social networking platforms. Both tracks are fairly lengthy (approx 10 mins combined), meaning the group are already a third of the way to having a live set under their belt. It's a really candid and raw recording, giving you insight into their practice sessions. This is best represented by the second track 'headf*ck' being opened by their front man saying "anyway, here's wonderwall" before exploding asking his fellow

Middlesbrough Pub Bans Female Fronted Bands

Middlesbrough pub and rock music venue; Doctor Brown's ; has caused outrage after implementing a ban on female fronted bands, stating their customers believe that women can't sing rock music well. The story gained national attention after The Northern Echo published a damning article on the situation.  Consequently, residents and musicians have started to boycott the venue. I contacted Doctor Brown's to hear their side of the story. Had the situation been blown out of proportion on social media, or were outdated, sexist attitudes being called out? Paula Rees, the pub's manager cited that the Northern Echo had lied and "twisted her words" and she was eager to talk to me to "set the record straight". She said that was more than happy to talk, asking me to ring up later when the pub was a little quieter. Rees also confessed that she wasn't a "big rock fan" and was just going with what her customers wanted, stating that they had