Tuesday 21 January 2014

Gig review - LOIS, The Lunadogs and Crimson General - Jamcafe 17/01/2014


Opening last Friday at Jamcafé with a bang were CRIMSON GENERAL, a two-some formed from John Peel favourites Cherry Forever. They have a powerful sound, which is impressive for the just two of them, which is then furthered by their intense reverberated electric guitars and a strong rhythm section. The use of the drum kit is innovative, and rhythms are often complex and unusual which is a great technique to have under your belt and was very effective. Their music is well constructed, with some great transitions between verse and chorus in their songs. They sing gorgeous melodies with good phrasing and have great interactions between the two of them, and the audience. They seemed very comfortable on the stage and very much in their element. Despite there being two of them, their music is full bodied and rich, and they use their instruments in innovative ways to intensify their songs. They also have a great stage presence, and I enjoyed how the end of the set was only properly finished when the lead singer unplugged his guitar from the amp, a bit of showmanship never goes amiss!

THE LUNADOGS are next to take the tiny stage with their funky stylings. With the band stretching out of the norms with a theramin and an electric double bass, they definitely grabbed attention. Distinctive vocals are a powerful tool for The Lunadogs as the higher pitched melodies complement the rest of the band well, and are prominent over the other things going on. The electric bass is used in a broad way, and it is so great to see it both bowed and plucked with great care and precision. It is a fantastic tool both visually as well as musically effective in expanding songs. The bassist also operates the theramin, often playing bass at the same time, therefore is purely operating it with his body. Multitasking like crazy, he manages to get a good balance and a considerate operation of the theramin, which is no mean feat. The song structures were well planned, with some fantastically unusual key changes which added to the funk. There were also some lovely, lengthy instrumental sections which were well executed with good communication between the band. This was also demonstrated in their on stage jam, where they improvised a track on stage from scratch, which had a fantastic end result and really showcased their musicianship. Their music sometimes combines the funky with the spooky, as they can often have active guitars promoting dancing in the audience with great hooks based on a funk style bass part. On the top of this though, vocals can be haunting in their melodies, and when teamed with a distorted theramin, things can get pretty intense. The parts all gel well together though, and feed off of each other. The solos were great too, as they provided a change of pace, but I think that some bass solos would have been a welcome at times. Overall, an impressive and interesting listen, and well worth catching live.

LOIS took to the stage to headline the gig, taking the audience through a multitude of styles and genres, including rock & roll, blues, folk, rock, soul, country and even pop. With strong vocals and harmonies, the band put on an energetic performance, which was powerful and passionate. With strong, heavy bass lines, they build around them, creating well structured songs with catchy melodies. Spanning genres they tear up solos and get innovative by changing it up with a keyboard half way through the set, which changes the pace and feel of the gig somewhat. The keyboard creates a different kind of song construction, leading possibly to 'Be True To Yourself', which felt like a rock infused pop ballad, beginning with vocals and keyboard, and later developing into a full band. I enjoy the various stylistic changes though, as it always keeps the audience on their toes, as no one song is the same as another. Their tracks have excellent sections, and good instrumental breakdowns, with consideration being taken into the balance of their instruments. These performers have a good stage presence, interesting music and an enthusiastic performance style, and are happy to be there, and you would have been too!


By Cassia Helme for NottinghamLIVE

No comments:

Post a Comment