February is a month when bands come out from the crap month of January and breathe new life into a year that has only been about earning the money back you wasted in December. So with a £16 price tag you would be expected to be getting some amazing musical action live... well this is what I encountered last night.
A freezing cold evening made worse with the delayed doors opening and 53 MPH winds ripping right through the queue I was in a hurry to get to the centre of the barrier. Instantly I was met with a strange array of covered instruments and a harp?! This was Active Child, this is a band comprising of Pat Grossi and he combines his soaring vocals and crunching analogue synths with the honey drip drop of echoing harps. The vocals are something similar of the best of Yannis Philippakis and Hayden Thorpes vocal abilities into something to admire. I loved their set and even bought their EP on 10" and have listened to it a few times already today!
Weight of the World by Active Child
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Active Child - She Was A Vision
After that breathtaking encounter it was the turn of another American band, this time, Crocodiles took the stage. With a stage lit up they seemed to look like a cross between an Oasis tribute act and a Post-Punk outfit. The singer was trying so hard to overcome the loud and pulsating guitar and drums but sadly you couldn't hear him enough. After a few fiddling around on the sound desk you could hear him loud and clear. Wonderful vocals projected right across the room with an array of pedals to his right and (what sounded like) a distortion pedal being used all too often by the guitarist. I did enjoy the performace but couldn't help but feel like they came 15 years too late, they sounded like Brit-Pop with a slight Rock edge to them.
Crocodiles - Album
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Crocodiles - Mirrors
So now to the main attraction, the Junction was sold out for what was to be an amazing show. They started with a new fans favourite called 'Holy Ghost' this song was followed with an epic sing along to 'To Lose My Life'. With a few new songs dotted throughout the set it was a nice diversion from the old favourites such as 'Taxidermy' and 'From The Stars'.
With an additional member now providing some relief from Harry's guitar parts, this created more layers to the sound. Think of it as the album but better, the extra two members do create a wonderful experience because you can hear the layers they create in the album a whole lot better once live.
With Harry constantly getting sing-a-longs to the big tracks such as 'Bigger Than Us', 'Death' and 'Unfinished Business' everyone, old fans, new fans and even the bouncers enjoyed the experience with a few of the lads turning around to check out the brilliant performance behind them.
White Lies played:
Holy Ghost
To Lose My Life
Peace & Quiet
E.S.T.
Strangers
A Place To Hide
Streetlights
Death
Is Love
Bad Love
Farewell To The Fairground
-Encore -
Unfinished Business
Power & Glory
Bigger Than Us
Ritual [Clips] by White Lies
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White Lies - Bigger Than Us (Factory Floor Remix)
Review by:
Active Child - Fred Bambridge
Crocodiles - Fred Bambridge
White Lies - Fred Bambridge
A freezing cold evening made worse with the delayed doors opening and 53 MPH winds ripping right through the queue I was in a hurry to get to the centre of the barrier. Instantly I was met with a strange array of covered instruments and a harp?! This was Active Child, this is a band comprising of Pat Grossi and he combines his soaring vocals and crunching analogue synths with the honey drip drop of echoing harps. The vocals are something similar of the best of Yannis Philippakis and Hayden Thorpes vocal abilities into something to admire. I loved their set and even bought their EP on 10" and have listened to it a few times already today!
Weight of the World by Active Child
[FACEBOOK]
[MYSPACE]
Active Child - She Was A Vision
After that breathtaking encounter it was the turn of another American band, this time, Crocodiles took the stage. With a stage lit up they seemed to look like a cross between an Oasis tribute act and a Post-Punk outfit. The singer was trying so hard to overcome the loud and pulsating guitar and drums but sadly you couldn't hear him enough. After a few fiddling around on the sound desk you could hear him loud and clear. Wonderful vocals projected right across the room with an array of pedals to his right and (what sounded like) a distortion pedal being used all too often by the guitarist. I did enjoy the performace but couldn't help but feel like they came 15 years too late, they sounded like Brit-Pop with a slight Rock edge to them.
Crocodiles - Album
[FACEBOOK]
[MYSPACE]
[OFFICIAL SITE]
Crocodiles - Mirrors
So now to the main attraction, the Junction was sold out for what was to be an amazing show. They started with a new fans favourite called 'Holy Ghost' this song was followed with an epic sing along to 'To Lose My Life'. With a few new songs dotted throughout the set it was a nice diversion from the old favourites such as 'Taxidermy' and 'From The Stars'.
With an additional member now providing some relief from Harry's guitar parts, this created more layers to the sound. Think of it as the album but better, the extra two members do create a wonderful experience because you can hear the layers they create in the album a whole lot better once live.
With Harry constantly getting sing-a-longs to the big tracks such as 'Bigger Than Us', 'Death' and 'Unfinished Business' everyone, old fans, new fans and even the bouncers enjoyed the experience with a few of the lads turning around to check out the brilliant performance behind them.
White Lies played:
Holy Ghost
To Lose My Life
Peace & Quiet
E.S.T.
Strangers
A Place To Hide
Streetlights
Death
Is Love
Bad Love
Farewell To The Fairground
-Encore -
Unfinished Business
Power & Glory
Bigger Than Us
Ritual [Clips] by White Lies
[FACEBOOK]
[MYSPACE]
[OFFICIAL SITE]
White Lies - Bigger Than Us (Factory Floor Remix)
Review by:
Active Child - Fred Bambridge
Crocodiles - Fred Bambridge
White Lies - Fred Bambridge