Vivid Nation Headline @ The Beer Cart Arms, Canterbury

After missing Vivid Nation last time at the Beercart due to the lead singer being unable to talk that night, let alone sing, I was eager to hear these boys live even more due to the anticipated wait. But before they took to the stage we had two other bands to build up to them.

The first group to open up for the night were Belleville, fronted by a female singer who also played keyboard, along with the usual set up of bass, guitar and drums. The singer has a strong soulful voice which the group have used well with a blend of gentle folk and indie rock, and with the slow tempo gives a calming relaxing sound. As the set went on I felt the band were getting stronger as a group, with the sound cutting through more clearly and the lyrics working better with the composition, but the last two songs were definitely their strongest in terms of performance, which could be felt by all in the pub as the sound had died down to a barely audible syllable so that they could listen to that angelic voice.

If I was to criticise the band at all, it would be to work on their performance to put on a show, and maybe mix match their set up to start with something that will grab everyone's attention at the beginning, as I found that mid way through their set a lot of people had forgotten about the band and were more engaged with social chit-chat. Towards the end though the singer had cut through the back ground sway with some powerful lyrics, and the band sounded more alive in terms of louder and more engaging content. Though their sound was a little out of place of what you'd expect from the usual music from the Beercart, it certainly would fit in with the likes of 'The Ballroom' in Canterbury or clubs/bars like this which would blend in with the sound and the general surroundings. I'd like to hear maybe a faster tempo song, or one which pushes the singer to her limits to see what they can produce in the future, but certainly a band worth keeping an ear out for in the future. They have their feet planted, but not firmly enough yet to make that leap.

Next onto the stage were Jamie & The Portraits, with their geeky looks I was expecting something in the likes of Weezer from these guys. What I got instead, was a earful of pain from the frontman's attempts at singing. There were a few times that he had a good mix of whining mixed with gritty singing like you hear from Kings of Leon, but those few times were few and far in between. Which is a shame as the rest of the band had a good sound to them, it was just the singing which grated on everyone's nerves. I could see the pain on all the faces as they grit their teeth to grin and bear this half hour assault as the frontman tried to reach notes that just weren't there. I honestly tried listening out for any potential, but I think a replacement of their frontman was all this band could do if they planned on getting anywhere, either that or turn to thrash/black metal where the need to sing would be replaced with the need to scream and would probably fit in better. After getting a few shots of them I sat and waited for the arrival of the night's anticipated saviours, Vivid Nation.

 

I had already listened to their songs on their band pages, I already knew that they sounded good recorded. What I wanted to find out now, was how good they were to see, to feel, and to enjoy in the confines of a charmed pub. What I didn't expect, was to witness one of the best live performances I've witnessed in a long time. To being with, the lead singer's voice was a little flat, and not quite as strong. But this might have been down to just recovering from illness, plus no chance to warm up those vocals. I can however remember that after the first song he was in full tune to a well received audience. I could hear influences of Muse and 3 Doors Down most definitely in their music structure and notes, but with such a blend comes a high electric rapture from the void of unique creativity. What I'm trying to say here is, these guys are amazing. It's hard to digest that they are so young, that they've only been together for a little over a year, that they are so animated on stage! Unfortunately I missed out on these picture opportunities either because I was standing too close with a 100mm prime lens or because I was standing behind them as they flew out onto the floor on their knees.

If you missed this gig, shame on you, go to their next one and you'll see why words are not enough to describe such a good band. They have all the boxes ticked, they have already a catalogue of great songs both slow and fast, both soft and hard, memorable and likely to stand the test of time.

 

www.ljsdigitalphotography.com/band-photography 

Springtide Cavalry – OBCU Club

After googling my way to where the venue is at, I locate the big red bricked building with the many “can't see through here” windows. I wasn't sure where to enter at first until I nearly tripped on the low key white board with the words “Springtide Cavalry” with an arrow underneath detailing the way. Underneath this though were the ominous words “£1 for non members”, I wondered what I had let myself into here.

Expecting some cult after a wooden stake crashed down when I opened the front door I was ushered in by a friendly local and found myself in an old hall, which looked like an old 1960s office block with a full traditional bar built in at some point. The smell of age brought back memories of my youth of going to bars or halls like this with my parents, with that distinct aroma or human and smoke still clinging to the walls and ceilings. I wasn't expecting a rock band to be playing here, but thought that the charm of the atmosphere mixed in with everything else would give a different light on the standard gigs I was used to at pubs. Plus I didn't know how well the old skool rock would fit into the present surroundings considering the average age group that was present.

With the ambient chit-chat reaching higher and higher, it wasn't long before the first distorted chords reverbed through the hall and distilled the hustle bustle of gossip queens and hearty male bonding. That antiquated feeling soon hit me again upon hearing the singer's “Thin Lizzy” like voice and typical rock sound, with bass, drums and lead singer with guitar. The band played a mixture that night of covers (which they played really well and the singer's voice was at it's strongest) and their own material, which at times felt like a shadow of these great songs they played. The exceptions were the songs “Run Away”, a new as of yet unnamed song they played and “Out Of Here”, which is their latest single to be released. All of these held some distinction of the bands own flavour, and with their catchy choruses will probably go down as favourites to the fans.

The band consisted of a drummer, a bass player doing backing vocals and the lead singer also playing guitar. Though this formula is like a tradition amongst bands, 'Springtide Cavalry' managed to maintain a distinct sound of their own throughout, which was like a blend of turn of the century indie music mixed with late 1970s to early 1980s rock. It also helped that the band were tight, with a few banters passed between each other in the gaps between songs and the fact that they bounced off each other so well during songs.

I left the venue as the band were still playing out, and found I was singing some of the choruses on the way home in the car. Nothing beats a good night out with some old skool rock playing at an old skool club, and rocking every bit better than you first anticipated. There's great potential for this small group, and hopefully in the future, they delve deeper into their roots of musical inspirations to pull out a classic song that will rock our nation.

Leon Staden

www.ljsdigitalphotography.com