Saturday 27th February
Some sort of semi-finals
Once Vagrant Souls, Alligatr, Scribble Victory, The World Can Wait and Little Dead Town at The Shed.
Tonight the bands were taking part in Some Kind Of Showcase, a series of events organised by Dreaming In Colour Productions in association with The Honey Label Ltd.
In fact, this show was the first semi-final in the series.
Opening tonight’s show Once Vagrant Souls put on a storming set of their own songs. A set that was widely appreciated by the audience. A band we have seen before, they played at the Soundhouse in May last year when we said
I can’t tell you how good this band is. Well, actually I can! Musically, Once Vagrant Souls is a band with a tantalisingly good offering. This was the night they launched their single Big Clean Mansion.
We also said
Lead singer David Lewis providing uncompromisingly clear and sharp vocals backed up by his band who provided the instrumental melodies with precision.
Read our feature article on OVS.
Tonight’s performance was every bit as good if not better than that. The band’s resonant rock tunes punched into the room, rich in rhythms and led by the vocals of David Lewis. Their song Not A Casual Lover was released at the O2 in December; the song was a positive vibe message about relationships. The Woman At The Door was a folky number with rocky beats. These five guys are very good at what they do and what they do is very agreeable.
Tonight’s line-up promised a lot – most of which it delivered: bands with plenty of energy and verve, a range of sounds and a set of performances that would appeal to most musical tastes. I did think at one point, however, that the line-up was like this year’s Oscars. As far as I could tell the bands were being selected by judges (not a popularity contest) and the presenter did say that the results would be announced at the end of the next semi-final event on 5th March. The final is set for 27th March.
The second band tonight was Alligatr. This young indie band from Leicester has clocked up a string of well regarded gigs since they started up in that vintage band year of 2013. Well if tonight’s judging is based on musical ability, they are in for a tough night. Like the previous band, Alligatr is a lead singer band. Jack Birtwistle is the singer and he gave it his all; plus of course vocals from Jon Doughty.
We saw them play at Glastonbudget last year (2015) when we noted their influences as The Courteeners, The Rifles, Kasabian, Catfish and the Bottlenecks and The Strokes and a few more (like The Stone Roses) which might have got added later. So, whether you call them indie or pop rock, the fact remains that they are a fine band. [Music in Leicester]
So far so good but more to come. Scribble Victory. Now there’s a band I like.
I know there’s only two of them but they make music like bigger ensembles. Although they are from Derby, Jamie Thompson and Tomas Ward play in Leicester a lot. This dynamic duo do what whole bands can do. What stands out, for me, is their two beautifully harmonised voices and relentless energy, that and a really nice set of songs delivered with a compelling stage presence. It all adds up to marvellous music and amazing melodies. They know how to work a crowd; tonight they gave away a SV t-shirt to the ‘best dancer’ at the end of one of their songs and in the final number they were joined on stage by two of their most ardent fans who were their ‘backing dancers.’ Excellent.
The World Can Wait. This is a band I have followed since they started early in 2014. Tonight’s set showed they have come a long way since then. Lead singer Sully Archer’s vocals and performance was sensational.
Glittering guitar solos. having seen them at many gigs and festivals, I can say that they play every time like it was their most important appearance ever. Rock that is rich in rhythms, stunning sounds, listenable lyrics and the audience was loving it. Needless to say this is one of my favourite bands. Terrific.
When I saw Little Dead Town for the first time I was dead impressed. Tonight they impressed me again. They gave a scorching performance tonight; previously I said
Powerful vocals from the front-man led the songs in a set that was excellent. This is clearly an up and coming band that deserves recognition. Delivering a set that was strong on attack and with ear-grabbing sounds, their music blended passion, power and melody into a cocktail of sumptuous flavours [Music in Leicester]
It was a set that I would describe as ‘volcanic’ delivered by their lead singer Danny Richardson with zeal and commitment and ending the evening on a high note.
So, as I rushed out hoping to catch the last bus home, I thought ‘that was a good night. Must go there again!’
See also:
Some Kind of Showcase heat January 22nd
