The 28th February 2019 saw CB Promotion’s debut with the “Leicester Acoustics” gig at The Soundhouse. The night was hugely successful, welcoming more than fifty audience members through the doors ready to support their family, friends and favourite bands on stage. The night was organised to run as a networking event for our local musicians and professionals. I managed to catch up with the likes of Day Of The Moon, Ben Davies and of course the head of CB Promotions - Charlotte Bows. The event ran smoothly with no problems, check out the review below to see the talent that Bows had showcased on the night.
First up: PERM (@permtheband on Instagram)
Before we begin, I’d like to give a huge well done to PERM for successfully performing their first gig together as a band. They played a total of seven songs, two of which were originals, so huge props to you for this! Their set list is as follows:
· On a Plain – Nirvana
· I’m Only Sleeping – The Beatles
· Waiting In Vain – Bob Marley
· Sober – PERM
· Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
· Aviation – Last Shadow Puppets
· Mind Becomes One – PERM
Not a bad thing can really be said about these guys, they have a brilliant understanding for music (both for feeling and composing their own material) and they have a great sense of musicianship and stage presence. Teagan confidently spoke to the audience between songs making light-hearted jokes and generally making the atmosphere both intimate and comfortable, in my eyes this is a perfect way to open a gig night.
Their covers were accurate, but at the same time different. I really liked how the band put their own spin on things to make the performance their own, the range of genres they covered displayed their versatility towards different styles. I think the reasoning for this is their strong performances as individuals. Billy displayed some solid, accurate and confident guitar skills with feel. Teagan and Lydia both have voices that are like a match made in heaven, the technical understanding and clearly amazing vocal ability they both had shown makes for a perfect duo. Using the Cajon, Billy kept the pulse of the song going very well, a factor that is very often overlooked by many but arguably one of the most important elements to music. Their original songs were definitely pieces of art to be proud of, “Sober” being my personal favourite. The smooth and almost psychedelic themes that this band brought to the stage were second to none and certainly made for a brilliant start to the night. Round of applause to PERM.
Next on the bill: Ben Davies (@b3n_davi3s_ on Instagram)
Going on stage after PERM and pleasing crowds definitely came with a challenge, but Ben Davies pulled it off brilliantly! The acoustic singer-songwriter played a set of five songs, those including:
· Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
· God Put a Smile On Your Face – Coldplay
· Black Chandelier – Biffy Clyro
· Ghosts – Ben Davies
· Sitting On The Dock of The Bay – Otis Reading
I was really impressed with Davies’ set. He has an absolutely brilliant voice with deep, rich tones, great feel and attitude – he reminded me of the critically acclaimed George Ezra, which is certainly a title to be proud of. Like many of the acts during the night, he had a great stage presence, he was very funny and naturally talkative – it’s really nice to see a performer who is comfortable on the stage and is confident with their act.
Davies’ strong vocal abilities (with a stunning falsetto voice) is something to envy along with his song writing skills. The only negative thing I’d say about his set is that we didn’t hear enough original material, his own song “Ghost” was beautifully written and left me wanting to hear what else he was capable of – which I suppose is a brilliant thing.
Third act of the evening: Seth Wilkin (@sethjamesofficial on Instagram)
Seth Wilkin graced the stage as the third act of the evening. Yet another amazing acoustic singer-songwriter to play at Leicester Acoustics. His set featured six songs and the order is as follows:
· In The Aeroplane Over The Sea – Neutral Milk Hotel
· Every You, Every Me – Placebo
· Dakota – Stereophonics
· Fake Plastic Trees – Radiohead
· Alone Tonight – Seth Wilkin
· Books From Boxes – Maximo Park
One of the best things that Wilkin has to offer is his amazing ability to adapt his voice to any song you throw at it. He nailed the vocal tones of all of his covers (along with having an amazing falsetto tone!) and was pitch perfect for the entire duration of his set. His performance seemed absolutely effortless and his guitar skills were absolutely top. His only original included within the set was feel-good, well written and smoothly performed. I’d love to hear more of Wilkin and what else he has to offer in terms of songwriting in the future.
Second to last: SI (AKA; The Crystal Meth Overlords, as decided during the set)
I’d like to give a special mention to this act. Shortly after introducing themselves, the acoustic duo announced that their originally planned acapella act was not to go ahead. This was due to a significant number of performers pulling out last minute. So for this I’d like to congratulate them both for pulling off such a beautifully performed set. They played some acoustic sing-a-long classics, their set is as follows:
· Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
· Every Breath You Take – The Police
· Stand By Me – Ben E. King
· Somebody Told Me – The Killers
· Rude – Magic
As two vocalists from an acapella band, you’d expect the greatest. And boy, did they deliver. Hearing harmonies so perfectly sung by strong and clearly highly experienced voices gave those somewhat cliché karaoke night classics a new sense of life and totally different feel. It was great to see the pair turn something so well-known into something so personal. Performance ability aside, the duo were extremely funny and made some great interactions with their audience. Their chemistry was lovely to witness and you could tell that they worked well together. SI was certainly one of my favourite acts of the night.
Last but certainly not least: Day Of The Moon (@dayofthemoonband on Instagram)
Finally, the last act of the night and the long awaited headliner Day Of The Moon took to the stage, finishing off the night with a stripped-back set including only 3/6 members. Their setlist was made purely from their own discography, including the following songs:
· Waves
· Forest Fire
· Fever
· Take A Stand
· Nightfall
· Target
· Alice
The band are extremely seasoned and experienced performers, with many gigs big and small under their belts. It was actually really wonderful to see the band do something different with their material – they came away from their usual loud, energetic and synth-loaded indie rock music and quietly sat down with their guitars, brushes and voices to deliver an intimate and one time only chill session. To hear how they adapted their otherwise huge music for an acoustic night was respectable and it’s clear that these guys know versatility.
Tom’s vocals were great, as always. Some quiet yet effective and beautifully sung harmonies from Mark along with Dan’s slick use of the guitar made for a stunning set. Tom has perfected the crowd interaction techniques and likes to make everyone feel included. Overall, Day Of The Moon delivered a set that was no less than excellent and they certainly deserved the headline spot for Leicester Acoustics.
CB Promotions “Leicester Acoustics” event went down an absolute treat and was faultless. Not one person attending had anything bad to say about the evening, some brilliant acts were showcased – some of them we even got the chance to speak to. If you ever come across the opportunity to attend a CB Promotions event, I highly suggest you leap at it. Or better still, if you’re a band looking for representation, they are your people. You can find them on Instagram under @cbpromos for enquiries.
Comentários