It’s a triple bill of female led bands tonight, none of which I have seen live before. It all opens up with London based Honeyglaze. Sadly we only saw three songs as either they played the shortest support set ever or the venue got the stage times massively wrong as we were there at the early hour of 7.30. What we heard was good, melodic pop but the venue did seem to overwhelm the trio especially lead singer Anouska who looked tiny on the big stage.
Next up was Lime Garden formed just down the road from me in Guildford. Specialising in, I guess, quirky guitar based pop which is very much the vogue at the moment, see ‘Wet Leg’, they are a step up in both quality and stage presence. Some fine songs and a great short, sharp blast of a set with special props to guitarist Leila Deeley who gives off this air of indifference to her instrument but wow can she play. Can’t wait for the album and definitively a must see again.
Finally, main act, New York power trio Sunflower Bean. Led by the enigmatic Julia Cumming on bass and vocals who struts onto the stage and owns it for the next hour and a bit. There’s no filla and it kicks off with title track from their soon to be released album ‘Headful of Sugar’ and is followed in quick succession by ten more kick ass rock tunes, many new, plus a handful of oldies for good measure. It’s a breathless hour or so with the music ably complemented by a dynamic light show that assaults the eyes.
Banter is kept short and to the point with thanks given to those that are in attendance and I can’t convey how exhilarating it is to be going to live music regularly again, three this week, and it finally feels some normalcy is coming back into our lives.
This is quality rock and roll and Cumming is more than ably support by Nick Kivlen who stalks around the stage throwing out lick after lick from his Fender and Olive Faber providing the driving force on the drums.
It’s a cliché to say it’s all over too quickly but in this case it’s true. A little over an hour and its done bar the one song encore after which Cumming jumps into the floor for a last cacophonic jam finale to the show before walking straight to the merch table to meet the fans.
A wonderfully filthy rock show which you can’t beat live. You can only have so much introspection and tonight wasn’t the time for that. Brutal, wonderful, kick ass rock and roll.
Keep on rock and rollin y’all