I knew I had to check out Groove and the Bathtub Pings once more, following my previous encounter with them at the Soundhouse during a special Christmas gig in 2021. It is safe to say that this was totally worth it.
What a beautiful Sunday afternoon it was outdoors in the Donkey’s beer garden: the sun was shining, the beers were cold and the crowd were on their feet.
Throughout Groove’s two full sets, the attendance stayed strong; we even had Leicester city fans crawl in for a peek after the game. However, Groove were down one man, but he was honoured through crowd work which sustained the band as they progressed through their show.
The performance itself was well-choreographed, and it is clear each musician in the band is very much experienced, and when great minds are put together and given a couple of instruments, anything can happen. The band had extremely good chemistry, and the relationships between members were strong enough to support improvisation, crowd work and humour throughout the show.
Groove presented the audience with their own twists on timeless songs (Ghostbusters, All Star, Abba classics, etc), often mashing them up with smooth transitions to ease the flow in-and-out of different tracks and engage the audience more. The songs selected were so broad, catering to a vast crowd, ranging from young children to mature adults. I really enjoyed how band members took ownership of different instruments, once more emphasising their versatility as a band.
There were quality harmonies, incredible bass riffing, solid saxophone playing, and excitable drum fills. All these different layers adhered together to form a mash up that Groove could take ownership of.
It was clear they adapted the songs to fit their funky, disco, ‘Jack of all genres’ style. They changed the original chord variations to fit their sound and harmonies- clearly a lot of intricate planning went into this gig, which is to be highly regarded. The tracks are appropriate, and work together to form a cohesive setlist.
I think Groove should be proud of their progress from when they started to where they are now, as a band and as individuals. Each member is completely unique and talented, and incredibly humble about their talents.
I will be sure to continue to take any opportunity to see them whenever they visit Leicester to do a gig. So dear music venues, you know what to do!
Reviewed by Imogen Cresswell
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