Sweet Unrest, L'Extravagante, Tom Scamell and All Looks at the Dublin Castle (and All Looks again at the Finsbury with Myah and Blue Jar

Another stellar evening at the Dublin Castle but without any stars. Yes of course a contradiction, but I saw at least three very talented acts that I enjoyed very much and who would grace a much bigger stage. And coming into the show there was only one that I had ever even heard of.

Opening were a five piece called All Looks, who although featuring very attractive female vocalists, were very far from being all looks. They could play and sing seriously well. And something different, having two female lead singers who sometimes sung in harmony, sometimes what I would call counterpoint. But they also popped off stage at one point and left the remaining band members to play an instrumental number, which they did very well. Also for once a properly diverse band, black female bassist, Asian guy on lead guitar. All just a very pleasing sound. And at  the end they announced that if anyone was keen they were playing the next night too at the Finsbury. I was in (as you will see from end of this blog entry)

The very pretty and very talented Tai

Next up was a "solo" singer songwriter Tom Scamell, but playing with a guitarist and drummer that he had met online. From Texas, they had just come over for a week to do some recording. And play this gig. I asked the guitarist if he was from Austin, Texas, and he replied "of course". Anything cool from Texas seems to come from Austin.

As a act, if honest, they were the least impressive of the night. Ok, but just nothing stood out to me about them.

Then L'Extravagante, who were truly extraordinary. Now I had come across the lead singer already, when I had popped out to the loo, because he was in the toilet rehearsing. And wow, did he have a good voice.

Not sure what the monkey mask was in aid of, but it soon came off.

As I say, the young man just had a superb voice, one of the best rock vocalists I have heard. And a terrific stage performance from this four piece too. Can't praise them highly enough. They should be playing arenas.

I asked the led singer where they were based, expecting a reply like "Paris". But no. Acton. I will be seeing them again if I can find them on another bill...

Then last up Sweet Unrest. I have reviewed them so many times that I don't have anything much more to say. Other than this was guitarist Leon's birthday.

Happy birthday Leon - yes as you can see I was standing under him effectively!

So that was my jolly good Friday night at the Dublin Castle. 

Next evening I made my way down Green Lanes to the Finsbury in time to catch opening act Myah. Another very strong female vocalist. I enjoyed her set.

Then All Looks again. The two girls on vocals actually recognised me from the night before (well I do stand at the front and I am rather older than most of the crowd) and sweetly thanked me for coming again to see them.

And it was a pleasure to see them perform again. Great voices, music is good, what's not to like?

Band left to do an instrumental on their own...

Finally headliners Blue Jar. Again new to me, again a pleasant surprise. Excellent keyboardist who was rightly centre stage, but another wonderful vocalist "Fi"

 

 

The Sick Fix, Queen Horizon, Daioni, Soundcheck in the Alley and the Lonesome Boy at the Dublin Castle

I do like these big bills. So this was five acts on a Sunday night. I was only really here to see one of them, the middle act, the Sick Fix. But I do like the variety, and the comparisons one can make, and of course to see if one of the other acts seems good so that I begin to follow them. Just as I saw the Sick Fix play here first, well down a bill, when I had never heard of them.

However my resilience for this gig was tested by engineering works on the Tube.  One of the bonuses with Camden venues is how easy it is to get here from home. Makes me more willing to go and see unknown acts and take a "risk". Closure of the Piccadilly Line rather changes that dynamic. Long bus ride around the North Circular to pick up the Northern Line on a cold wet night somewhat dampens the enthusiasm.

So to start the evening off, only a few minutes before doors were to open according to the ticket (not unusual with the Dublin Castle for gigs to start before opening time!), were Lonesome Boy, who were not an individual, but a trio, and stretching the term "boy" since they looked to be approaching pension age. But they were a fun and competent rock outfit. Not many bands would have a song inspired by cataracts...

Then on came another trio, Soundcheck in the Alley. For thirty seconds I thought wow, they could be something. Lead singer was stunningly handsome tall blond. The guitars sounded great and different, just wow. And then...?

And then lead singer started singing. Terribly flat. And the guitar stuff just didn't fit their songs. Rather in the manner of prog rock - play intricate guitar, then get rather basic bits around the lyrics. Just disjointed.

Everything else was great. Honestly the lead singer seemed a very nice young man from his limited chat with the audience. And as I say stunningly good looking in my eyes, with perfect teeth which he displayed in singing with gusto. Just not the voice. Which when singing live is a little bit of an issue. Looks really do count, but there has to be something else to work on or one is in the wrong business. I don't like to be negative, and really I think they could go places if they hired a new singer songwriter to add to the band. Always prefer a four-piece to a three piece anyway...

Which brings me on to the band I had come to see, the Sick Fix, four young lads from Manchester. Who were an excellent contrast. Lead singer Leo has proper attitude on stage, and a proper rock voice. Not a voice you might put in a choir, but one you that would want fronting an indie rock band. A nice enough looking lad, but nothing compared to the previous bloke who could have been a poster boy for the Hitler Youth. And the guitars were fine, but none of the rock intricacies of the previous act. Its just that their guitars fitted the songs! 

They sounded under rehearsed, and Leo said they hadn't played for a month. Lost his words a couple of times during the set. But they do have something. Best of all was the cover they did of Joy Divison's She's Lost Control, which was top drawer. Will definitely try and see them again when they venture south. Would be really cool to see them as a headline act with a longer set.

Daioni were making their London debut, having come all the way from Wales. Shame the crowd was so sparse, made sparser by the departure of some of the Sick Fix's entourage. Another indie four piece this time fronted by a red haired young woman with a good enough voice. Lots of effort and one could see they were sweating buckets. But nothing to get too excited about.

And finally headline act Queen Horizon, who were completely new to me. This time a five piece. Another group at the more mature end of the spectrum shall we say, having had two what I would guess were teenage bands in the middle of this bill. As I say, you get variety, but all within the indie rock genre.

Queen Horizon had the glamour though, all in the form of their scantily clad lead singer. But I couldn't say I would be desperately keen to hear them again. Unfortunately, what I was keen on was getting home, knowing that it would be a longer than usual journey. So I tried to slink out unobtrusively before the end - the audience was sufficiently small that my absence might be noticed, especially as I was right at the front, and no act really managed to entice what crowd there was to move to the front.