Not Another Music Blog.: live

Thursday, 17 May 2018

Live Review: Decave #7 - Oscar Jerome x S. Fidelity Collaboration @ Birthdays, London (11/05/2018)

If you haven't heard of Decave and the brilliant collaboration night the small but passionate London-based promoters put on once a month, then please allow us to enlighten you. The premise is simple - they get two great musicians who have never met before, make them spend five hours in the studio collaborating and then, on the night, they perform their creations live at a venue somewhere in London. Past collaborators have included artists like Goat Girl, ISLAND, Blaenavon and Line Fire and for their 7th outing, singer-songwriter Oscar Jerome and electronic beat maker, S. Fidelity.

It's fair to say, as soon as the performance started, we and the relatively large audience were hooked. Jerome's incredible guitar playing coupled with the hard, but sparse beats of S. Fidelity instantly worked a treat. They opened with two tracks which were both created that day. Much to our amazement they were both fully formed songs with clear structures, lyrics and brilliant instrumentation. We have to confess, we arrived at Decave with a slight trepidation. It could have been far too easy for S. Fidelity to play a drum loop whilst Jerome shredded across the top for a good half an hour but luckily, this wasn't the case. These songs showcased each artist's superb talent with a high air of professionalism. Jerome's soulful vocals and guitars, combined with the electronic beats and brilliant use of S. Fidelity's vocoder amounted to a captivating performance.

One of the best things to take away from the night was how much fun both artists looked to be having on stage. It looked as if they had been friends for years, but in fact, they had never met before the day. They then performed a John Martyn cover which silenced the crowd before each artist broke into a solo rendition from their respective back catalogues. The setlist itself was concise and you could really tell each artist had put in maximum effort and thought into the whole process.

We were genuinely blown away by how good the performance was. Decave have got a brilliant concept here and it won't be long before the crowds get bigger and bigger. Also, it's clear Oscar and S. Fidelity should record a split EP. The chemistry the lads showed was electric and we'd definitely go see them perform together again.

Make sure you keep up to date with all things Decave by 'liking' their Facebook page.

Follow our socials to keep up to date with new posts and features from Not Another Music Blog.

Wednesday, 10 January 2018

Live Review: YOWL, Drahla and Crewel Intentions @ The Old Blue Last, London (09/01/2018)

It's a pretty good sign when you have to queue to get in to a punk show full of young, up and coming talent. The crowds were out in force for the first of DIY's 'Hello 2018' shows at East London's famous Old Blue Last. Unfortunately the queue's downstairs meant that we missed spoken-word, grunge-punk heroes Hotel Lux. Maybe next time eh lads?

First up were Crewel Intentions who's online presence is barely even a thing. Fronted by Chilli Jesson of Palma Violets fame and with no music to be found anywhere, we didn't particularly know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. The band were brilliantly tight with the bass and drums locking in perfectly. The addition of the keyboards added a 70s rock influence to each track whilst Jesson's energy and wild eccentricity had the audience in the palm of his hands; it was hard to count how many times he jumped into the crowd. For a band shrouded in secrecy and relying purely on word of mouth, Crewel Intentions made a massive statement of intent.

Leeds trio Drahla didn't let a little sound malfunction at the start dampen their set. Their raw and noisy sound showed elements of darkness throughout. Luciel Brown's vocals were relaxed and contrasted well with the hectic instrumentation from the rest of the band. After the release of their brilliant new EP titled 'Third Article' in November of 2017, Drahla backed their buzz with a brilliant live performance.

YOWL causing chaos

Finally, YOWL took to the stage. The Peckham based five-piece instantly made a good impression. Their erratic stage presence coupled with melodic instrumentation and a charming sloppiness was fantastic. YOWL blasted through a set full of crowd favourites such as 'My Headache Likes to Speak' where front man Gub showed brilliant vocal range transitioning from falsetto to gruff shouting with ease. The highlight came when the lads played the incredible 'Saturday Drag'; one of the songs of 2017. The tune captured the hearts of the crowd as every single person sang along word for word. Gub's two broken arms didn't hinder him as he proceeded to perform the tune with great passion whilst perched on a crowd members shoulders. Crowd surfing and mayhem followed as The Old Blue Last lost their minds to a brilliantly well oiled set from one of the best bands on the scene at the moment.

It was incredible to see such a turnout on a miserable Tuesday night in January. There's something special bubbling away at the moment with the London punk scene and it's only a matter of time before everyone else starts to notice.

Follow our socials to keep up to date with new posts and features from Not Another Music Blog.