with Michael Vickers & The Bad Thing, The Table Troubadours, Warren Ireland and Sozzle
Reviewed by Kenny Cassells and Trevor Locke
The first act on stage was a young girl called Sozzle, performing at her first gig.
What a voice! Strong and full of passion, she sang beautifully and the audience was entranced by her music. This might have been her first gig, but I think, as I said at the time, we will be seeing more of her over the years to come. I think she might follow in the footsteps of Mahalia, a now artist of national status who performed at the Soundhouse and other local venues in her early years.
Her songs were very enjoyable and she delivered them with remarkable commitment. Sozzle sang some of her own songs together with some covers.
A good start to an evening that was full of promise.
Warren Ireland, from Nottingham, kept it going with his set of rock and roll songs and lively and engaging singing. He got his set off to a bouncy start with a foot-tapping song rich in rhythm. Singing and playing his guitar, which had plenty of peddles, Warren get the vibe on a high for the whole of his storming set. He rocked out and brought the audience to its feet.
The Table Troubadours were four musicians who I had seen before. The bass-player did much if not most of the singing. Tonight, there was a good-sized crowd in the venue and they responded well to the group’s vibes. They delivered plenty of good songs to keep people engaged.
Michael Vickers is a local artist I have known for a very long time. Tonight he was on stage with his band. The last time I saw him was at Duffy’s bar when he performed on the Sunday.
Tonight, at the Soundhouse, Vickers was on good form. His strong voice carried right to the back of the room. No shortage of vivacity and energy, as always. That is what makes him such a good singer, along with having loads of personality and a good line in patter between his numbers. He is someone who knows how to work an audience.
One of the few local singers who, like Andrew Kenny, has a long track record and a bevvy of recorded tracks and videos.
What makes Vickers so appealing, as an artist, is his character and visible stage presence. What was good about the crowd, at tonight’s gig, was that they stuck around for the whole night. His set of rocky songs was varied; at one point, he had most of the people joining in his choruses.
A master of melody, he gave us a set of impressive anthems.
Kenny Cassells adds:
What more can be said about Andrea Kenny that hasn’t already been said? From fronting previous bands such as Andrea Kenny & The Cavalry, amongst others, to blazing across the Leicester music scene and beyond as the lead singer of the Brandy Thieves.
She is now cutting a path as a solo artist and achieving a good level of success on her own merit, however, tonight is different, tonight she appears as Andrea Kenny & Token Boy and from what I’ve heard from the soundcheck, this is a whole new level.
Preceeding Andrea’s appearance on stage were some fantastic acts already, if it was anyone else you could say it’s going to be tough to follow what has come before, but this is Andrea and everyone who has stayed to watch know that this is going to be something special………
Opening with So Live the set kicks into life and it’s hard not to be impressed by that voice, even if you have heard it before it still blows you away with the sheer power and range. Immediately you can hear how the songs are elevated by the addition of Token Boy (Helen Collins on Piano, Natasha Patterson on Violin and Malcolm D’sa on drums…the token boy).
Seeing Andrea with Token Boy is something to behold, the band really enhance the overall sound, particularly on slower tracks such as Passage of Time and Battle. The beautiful interplay between violin, piano, vocal and guitar is backed up by some well-thought-out drum parts to complete a sound that can be fragile and subtle at times to a full-on hurricane force of power which demonstrates the tightness of the band and their symbiotic relationship onstage.
It’s clear to see that Andrea has a special connection with her audience who hang on to her every word and with whom she has an immediate rapport right from the start. They know all the words to the songs and sing along with as much gusto as Andrea in a set made predominantly of original music bar the excellent rendition of Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box which is a standout moment.
The set was well balanced and had a good mix of up-tempo tracks such as Ahab and the Whale and new song Burn which were complimented by the slower more intricate songs. Andrea also dropped in Brandy Thieves’ favourite Down the River which had the crowd singing and dancing away. Track Lay Your Head was another standout which featured audience participation with its hugely catchy hook big enough to snare the aforementioned whale from earlier song Ahab and the Whale. Finishing the set on White Devil, which Andrea performed solo, this was a fully professional and exceptional performance.
By the end of the show Andrea looked drained, you can tell that she has exuded every ounce of her being into the performance (as evidenced by the two strings missing from her guitar) and what it means to her to perform. This has been a hell of a show and a hell of a lineup and it was a pleasure to not just be here to watch but also to have played a part in it.
Special mention must go to Helen Collins who dressed the stage in a fantastic array of lights, candles and lanterns which added to the atmosphere perfectly.
Reviewed by Kenny Cassells and Trevor Locke
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