SoundHole Review - March
SoundHole held a special showcase called Six of the Best at the Brook Theatre on Saturday, 31 March. This was the first time that SoundHole has gone on the road and it was a really good night. About 250 people turned up to catch some live music. Here's a look at what went on........
Just Purple: The first band of the evening appeared with their guitarist in balloon covered clothes which went down well with the crowd they were opening to. Their indie-esque punk (ala Bloc Party and the Arctic Monkeys) sound along with their high-energy antics were a usual that their SoundHole fan base were used to and tonight they brought their A-game to open the night.
MWRL: Next up where comedy favourites of the ‘hole', MWRL. Tonight they played with their trademark humour along with a Ramones era punky style which had ska and reggae influences like The Aquabats and Sublime showing through,. This was again another band that lived up to the six of the best name tonight. A very good performance.
Fatal Fools: This band showed the same punk sound that won them the half an hour set tonight which showed resemblances to early NOFX and RX Bandits. Their humorously named tunes like “Feel my leg” and “Stupid Song” kept the crowd dancing.
Bradley and the Bookmen: The last time this band played at the SoundHole was a fair while ago, but that didn’t stop people dancing to their folk rock/rockabilly sound, which had sounds not quite unlike Johnny Cash and The Stray Cats. The set, chock full of brilliant originals had catchy hooks that kept the crowd on their feet for the entirety of their set. A great return to a SoundHole stage.
Reckless Abandon: The penultimate band were old favourites to the SoundHole - playing there from close to when the ‘Hole started. They played tonight with what appeared to be a more matured sound with intricate guitar lines which had elements of bands like Fall Out Boy and Sugarcult. The crowd appreciated their return with rapturous applause which followed their set.
The Throw Offs: The last band of the night were regulars to SoundHole events and brought their own brand of ska-punk ala the likes of Less Than Jake and Smash Mouth. They had the crowd jumping and dancing like crazy, right up until the end of their set. The final song saw members of the other bands that played joining The Throw Offs on stage, which was a great ending to a night of great music.
To find out more about SoundHole, including how your band could play there, visit www.soundhole.org.uk
SoundHole Review - February
Three Word Tragedy: To start the night this new band displayed a very metal-core/screamo-influenced set along the lines of Killswitch Engage, Atreyu and Bring Me The Horizon. They had a very lively stage presence that got the crowd warmed up for the rest of the night.
Vialate: To go second were another new band that brought more of a retro-influenced thrash metal set, which had the sound of Metallica, Megadeth and Testament but also mixed some new age stuff which had a kind of Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine vibe to it.
Last Night's Recital: This returning act arrived looking to produce the same pop-punk/emo sound that the crowd enjoyed so much the first time and they did. Their high energy set showed that they had a very Fall Out Boy/Panic At The Disco feel that proved very popular with the crowd.
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Absent Minded: Another new band that played a set full of great covers of recent metal hits like Avenged Sevenfold’s Beast and the Harlot and Bullet For My Valentine’s All These Things I Hate, as well as something lighter in the form of Blink 182’s All the Small Things. A very good first show. Pandora: Another new band that also brought a very metalcore/thrash metal-influenced set. They played mostly originals but also a roaring cover of Killswitch Engage’s The End of Heartache. Another good show from, again, another new band to play at the SoundHole. |
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Fatal Fools: The final band to play were again debutants who showed their entertaining brand of pop-punk, reminiscent of bands like NoFx and Blink 182. They proved they wanted to bring a show for the crowd with song titles such as Feel My Leg and Stupid Song, their set was made even better for them when it was announced they would play at The Brook on Saturday, 31 March for the SoundHole Six of the Best Showcase. |