I had been looking forward to this gig for a couple of weeks. It’s not that often you get the chance to see two up and coming 4 piece bands that are so committed to what they do. And then to get the soloist John Banks thrown in at the last minute is a definite bonus. Couple that with The Layton venue and you have yourselves the perfect recipe for a very good night of live music.
John has a great ability to take songs in a direction you didn’t expect, the acoustic equivalent of a ‘mash up’? Who’d have thought you could get Ghostbusters into …. well anything other than Ghostbusters!
Next up, fresh from their whirlwind London gig were The People: Alex Brown, Sam Catterall, Dec Astin and Joe Wood. Loud and proud with plenty of energy, just as it should be. Playing a mix of covers and tracks from the recent self-titled EP. With varying influences from Oasis to The Vaccines to Two Door Cinema Club they appeal to many people. I’m sure I even heard the Buzzcocks at one point and saw Alex almost break into a Chuck Berry style guitar hop! These guys deliver with an energy and enthusiasm that shows how much they enjoy what they are doing.ย Long may it continue.
Jekyll were up next.ย What can you say about the melancholic, melodic sounds of Jekyll that hasn’t been said before? The influences of Muse, Radiohead, Maximo Park, REM and The Smiths are clear to hear. I don’t mean they sound exactly like them; they are Jekyll – not just a copy of A. N. Other. The versatility of the group, and Joels’ vocals, enable them to play such a wide variety of songs, from Dolly Parton’s Jolene to Radiohead’s Creep, that it is hard to believe you are listening to the same band. Their own material is so well constructed it’s hard to distinguish them from far more established bands. Rumour has it that Joel Foster, Jonny Chatterton, Lewis Armistead and Liam Singleton are off to the studio. I, for one, am looking forward to the results.
To keep up to date with these bands check out their facebook pages:
Images courtesy of The Extra Third Photography.
Show Comments (0)