Wednesday 16 November 2011

A Band To Look Out For - To Kill A King



So, I've seen these guys supporting Wakey! Wakey! twice and are a band to definitely check out if you're especially into folk/alternative music. The lead singer actually has a sort of Johnny Cash-esque voice on him in some places.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Bruno Mars, Brixton Academy 24/10/11


Bruno Mars’ shows were sold out for very good reason. This guy not only has impeccable vocal talent, but is also a great entertainer who made the effort to interact with his fans (or ‘Hooligans’) often throughout his hour and a half long set. His band were also great fun, especially backing singer Phil who had the crowd in stitches with his recital of his ‘Omg this is great’ part from ‘The Lazy Song’. They really knew how to get the crowd going and made everyone minute of the set enjoyable for all, even encouraging the audience to sing and dance along.  

Supporting Bruno Mars was Skylar Grey, who is definitely talented but lacked the same kind of energy that I’d expect from someone performing to such a large crowd. One thing I would credit her for is singing the songs she features in for which she is best known, such as ‘Love The Way You Lie’ which she actually sung better than Rihanna does in my opinion!

After finishing his set with the much anticipated ‘Just The Way You Are’, Bruno answered the cheers and screams for encore by returning to the stage to perform ‘Valerie’, a tribute to Amy Winehouse with pictures flashing up on the screen behind of the late female artist who he says influenced him a lot. He then went on to perform ballad ‘Talking to the Moon’ which was a great song to end the night.
Overall,if you want to see an artist who will perform beyond your expectations, bring a lot of energy and sound as good live than on recording, this is an artist well worth seeing.  



 

Monday 31 October 2011

Wakey! Wakey! 19/10/11 London


This is the second time I've seen Wakey! Wakey! and of all the bands I've seen, they still create one of the most incredible ambiences I've experienced. During their hour and a half set, the band managed to cover every song of their debut album 'Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said The Last Time I Saw You...', along with some new material and an acoustic cover of Cyndi Laupers 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and most importantly, my favourite song by them '1876 The Brooklyn Theatre Fire'.

Although they don't pull as big a crowd as they do in the US, they play any show just as energetic no matter how big their audience, and the intimate atmosphere they create seems to add to their appeal. However, what makes Wakey!Wakey!'s gigs particularly memorable is the interaction that the band  has with the audience, highlighting the endearing awkardness of Mike through stories of his childhood and their time in London.
It's rare to find an artist who sounds as good as they do on their albums, but I'd argue that they sound even better than they do on their recordings with their acoustic versions of songs from their album. They also played a lot of new material, which also seemed to go down well with the audience and the band managed to keep peoples focus throughout the new songs even where people couldn't sing along.

Their support bands are something to be noticed too. I hadn't seen Casey Shea before, but from the couple of songs I did manage to see him play, he seemed to have created a good energy with his opening act. To Kill a King were the second act of the night, who had supported the band before and definitely had some support from their own circle of fans, and played a great set. They were a support band that I would arrive early to a gig to see.

All the acts seemed genuinely overwelmed by the support, and seemed as though they had a lot of fun and even did a meet and greet after - something you wouldn't usually expect from one of your favourite artists. They are one of the most incredible bands to see live, and when you do, you'll see that their recordings don't do them as much justice as actually being there. I know with the kind of performances I've seen them do this year, I will definitely be there next time they play in London!

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