It’s refreshing to know that, away from the saccharine excesses of X-Factor and the misguided empty-headedness of Britain’s Got Talent, there’s a lively music scene that’s bubbling with real talent even when some of the acts are still searching for their own X-factor. It was interesting to see three bands live at Chesterfield’s newest live venue, Battery, catching each act at a different stage of their development.
The first act we saw were The Wynells from Sheffield. Describing themselves as an “indie rock-reggae-funk-fusion”, that’s exactly what they don’t sound like. What they do sound like is the Kaiser Chiefs at an early stage of their development. They have some competent guitar riffs and some nursery rhyme, sing-along choruses that you can easily imagine the whole crowd singing along to – imagine a Kaiser Chiefs crowd singing, “We are the angry mob” and you get an idea of the direction that The Wynells are heading in.
There are two main development areas they should work on. Firstly, music is a form of entertainment, the crowd is there to be entertained, and it’s up to the band to put a show on. They spent a lot of time concentrating on their instruments or looking into space. Bass player C. Ellis wasn’t even facing the crowd, and not in a good, early Jesus and Mary Chain gigs way. It was early and the crowd wasn’t huge, but they brought their own fans and only the singer really made an effort to connect with the crowd.
Vocalist James is the other development area. He’s a more than competent vocalist for this type of music, certainly not afraid to use his voice and seems happy to be in the spotlight. Unfortunately, he comes from the school of front men who thinks that music started with the Stone Roses and ended with Oasis. There are a million other wannabes who wear their shirts buttoned up to the neck thinking they look cool (they don’t); and throwing your tambourine on the floor doesn’t make you look like a Gallagher, it makes you look like a pillock.
And that’s why I labelled them ‘development areas’ rather than criticisms. The Wynells are obviously a work in progress; what they need to do next is work on being The Wynells. Introduce more of the funk and reggae influences to their sound, work on developing their stage personas and develop their own USP. Even at this fledgling stage there was more than enough to suggest they’re a project worth persevering with.
Second act up were local band Grassoline, who play a brand of bluesy folk music that’s surprisingly subtle and complex. They’re starting to build a name for themselves and it was clear that quite a few in the crowd had turned up to see them. And with good reason; they proved that they were excellent musicians using a mix of guitars, double bass, violin, banjo and harmonica.
The band seems distinctly publicity-shy, there’s almost no information on either their MySpace or Facebook pages. Although they were all technically excellent I would particularly like to be able to cite the young man who played guitar/banjo whilst accompanying himself on harmonica as standing out.
Perhaps it’s my lack of familiarity with the genre – perhaps it’s my background as a dance music DJ – but I wasn’t gripped by the songs. Although the double bass provided the rhythm section, nothing reached out and grabbed me. Several individuals and small groups watched a couple of songs and then nipped out for a smoke during the middle of their set. It did the band an injustice, to be sure, and I imagine that a large part of that was to do with the style of music being played in a venue that hosts indie and rock nights – I can imagine the native crowd finding it a little too subtle for their tastes. Also, the quality of sound during their set didn’t match that of the other bands – the sound was a little mushy, with little distinction between instruments. A fault of the set-up, not the musicians.
And that should take nothing away from the band, who I can imagine would really delight a crowd that appreciates their style of music. In our Web 2.0 world where we expect to be able to find everything instantly on Google, the band needs to make more effort to reach out and find that crowd so they can get the reception they deserve.
Which brings us on to headliners Son of Eagle.
In existence since 2009, both the group and their sound has grown organically into (in their own words) a blend of traditional folk and nu folk. Amongst their influences they cite James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes; the lazy comparison would be Mumford and Sons. Already available from Son of Eagle are the self-written and produced EP “Take Me Back” and debut album “From the Ground”, and the band are currently being courted by all the major labels.
And it’s easy to see why that should be. Son of Eagle represent the next step on the path that The Wynells and Grassoline are travelling. Their live performances are confident and gripping, their sound vibrant and engaging. Contrast Wynells’ front man James with Son of Eagle singer/guitarist Benjamin Edmonds. Where James tries to catch your attention through borrowed postures and cliches, Benjamin simply takes it. His voice is powerful yet haunting, impassioned, and his stage persona mesmeric. You just don’t take your eyes off him.
The other founder member is guitarist Dean Collier. His guitar playing is exceptionally accomplished, whether it’s the delicate finger-picked melodies that weave in and out of some of their songs or the more assertive riffs played with the plectrum. Playing counterpoint to Dean’s guitar is the viola of Sarah Lloyd, whose excellent playing really comes to the fore in some of the slower numbers.
The rhythm section and backing vocals are provided by bass player Phil Thompson – a veteran of many local bands – and drummer Liam Walker. For me they provide the depth and interest that Grassoline seem to be missing. Where Grassoline seem lightweight, Phil and Liam add depth and strength, and on the faster numbers they add a real foot-tapping impetus.
Highlight of the set for me was the slower “Another Song”, which came about halfway through the set and is taken from the “Take Me Back” EP. You can find the five tracks from “Take Me Back” on Spotify – give them a listen.
Son of Eagle
Grassoline
The Wynells
Battery
