Mayfair and the Hornets at the Spice of Life

This should have been a bit of a disaster, but actually turned out to be a great night.

Why disaster? Well the headline act at this gig pulled out at the last moment, because the band had split up the night before! And if the headline act pulls out of a major gig then the gig gets cancelled and the punters get their money back. But not at this level. The show must go on. And the remaining acts just have to make the best of it.

In fact I was far from displeased at this turn of events because I had really come to see the openers, Mayfair. And that was only because I had bumped into Luka (the lad on the left below) at the Laurie Wright gig the week before and he told me that with the Mitchells disbanding (the band I had seen him play with before) he was now playing bass for the Mayfair. And they happened to be opening here and I had nothing else on, so I went to see them.

An odd looking band in the sense that Luka and lead singer were both dressed in sharp sixties suit and tie, while the other two were in hippy garb. Like the two wings of sixties culture. But in sound they were very much old style rock and roll, their set combining some originals and some covers. And with the main act having scratched they got a longer set - and were honest enough to declare they played all the material they had!

They sounded decent enough - lead singer's voice not brilliant. Probably his main strength is he is a handsome (and well dressed) young man.

Luka

But what made the night wasn't Mayfair, it was the second support, the Hornets. Luka told me they were good. But I didn't realise they would be THAT good. Very much the same style as Mayfair in that they played old fashioned rhythm and blues, similarly both covers and original material, but just better in every way. Like Mayfair, their lead singer just sang, not played guitar, which I like as it leaves the singer free to entertain without impediment. He had a better voice than the chap from Mayfair, and in addition the lead guitarist (the nerdy one in the specs) also had a fine voice so that meant they could be vocally more ambitious. They also had more chat with the audience and just came over better altogether (which is not to say that I didn't enjoy Mayfair, but when the comparison is there...).

They also had the benefit, with the headliners pulling out, of doing a much extended set. This did have one problem for them. The young man on bass was a stand-in for the night (although he had played with them before). So he had had only one rehearsal with them before the gig. And that was on the basis that the band were playing as a support. So he hadn't rehearsed with them at all on the additional songs of the emergency extended set. One wouldn't have noticed at all if they hadn't brought it up. But they played it all with such good humour that it made me feel it was a real pity he wasn't always with the band. Honestly they were terrific and the evening fairly flew past.

And fair play to them, they all played in suit and tie throughout although they must have been melting in the heat of this little basement club. (Well the drummer at the back quickly ended up just in a shirt unbuttoned to the waist, but as if to make up for it the lead guitarist was wearing a jumper too under his jacket!)

Although RnB isn't my normal taste, they were enjoyable enough that I aim to seek them out again as soon as I can. Especially if they are headlining

The stand-in on bass

 

Laurie Wright, Sweet Unrest, Stereo Cupid and Kit at the Forum

Laurie Wright's show last year at the Electric Ballroom was epic, so I hoped much the same from this year's show at the Forum. To be honest the Forum was just a bit too big for him, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a decent enough turnout. And the line up was very much to my taste.

The opener was Kit, at an unfairly early start time of 7:15. Unfair because doors didn't officially open until 7 and actually was few minutes later than that that I got in. (They desperately promote this thing whereby if you have an O2 phone you get priority entry. For this show, where the queue was only a dozen or so there was no point in "jumping the queue" unless they just held back people until a few minutes after doors open.) 

So this poor young man stated out playing to a very paltry crowd. Think a young Jake Bugg. Playing only his own compositions. Normally my heart sinks at the sight of a solo singer songwriter coming on with an acoustic guitar, but he just about had enough about him, good voice, good songs, animation) that he could carry it off

Acting as MC through the night, as well as playing some songs himself, was Tom McQ. He odes a lot of this stuff. He actually has a good voice and his interludes would be ok if he stuck to playing. Unfortunately he does talk. And as MC I would describe him as just about the most annoying of all time. Simply because he should be in the Guinness Book of Records for the most cliches per minute ever recorded. Just endless banal, and repeated again and again over the evening. There is nothing so very wrong with being a hippy, but his continuous twaddle just grates.

I have seen the second support, Stereo Cupid once before a couple of years back and they were amazing as a live act, a real force of nature. However they either don't play often or I just can't find them. But boy do they give it everything. There is an awful lot of movement on stage which my photos can't really capture. To get  good shot I need good lighting and stillness. Their set rarely had bright lights and they very rarely stood still for a moment!

These shots below include a young curly-haired cameraman that I recall meeting once before queuing on a wet night to get into the Grace. He told me he had started a photography/ media course and at the time had written to a number of bands asking to be allowed to take photos for a portfolio. Seems like he has done well!

Two of the guitarists now having removed their jackets to go bare chested, the lead singer decided to pull off his vest. I do recall them being keen to get shirtless at the previous gig at which I saw them. Despite the fact that I was on the front row and distinctly chilly in my t-shirt, they were clearly sweating buckets on stage both from the lights and their strutting around.

A lot of hydration breaks - this beat the World Cup in the States for humidity

(After the show I found that Stereo Cupid have two London gigs before Christmas, but I already have tickets for other gigs both nights! Grr)

At the next interlude Tom McQ duetted with the opener Kit, which meant Kit at latest now played to a substantial audience. (I had actually bought a ticket to see Kit again at the end of the month - not deliberately but he is on a Halloween bill.) 

Main support were Sweet Unrest, who I haven't seen in ages. They have better songs than Stereo Cupid, but not quite the frenetic stage presence. Not quite. That isn't to say they are lacking. They are fun to watch as well as listen to.

Leon sported a very sharp new suit

Below photos display the difficulties in capturing live performance. Top one has Tom basically in focus but Leon blurred, the one below it the other way around. Just a case of who was moving his head at the precise moment I snapped it!

Guest violinist on "Falling for You" with Marlon in the background

And Laurie Wright coming on stage (right) to add some guest vocals 

And finally Laurie Wright. He had spent a fair bit of the evening in the photographers' "pit" between the front barrier and the stage, enjoying his support acts. He is a very active bloke.

He odes always ply with a band which lifts him above the singer songwriter with guitar acts. He has a good voice and struts his stuff on stage along with some unforced banter.

Unfortunately announced that this bloke, Leo, was ending his time with the band and a new bassist is coming. I have seen this chap play a number of times, including solo. (Could do without the new mustache though😀)

This was a long gig - went on past 11pm. On my way out I bumped into Luka (ex of the Mitchells) who told me that he now played in a band called the Mayfair (whom I have seen a couple of times and quite liked) as a result of which I have booked a ticket to see them next week in Soho. It pays to talk! That I met Luka is not such a great surprise as I see him attending lots of gigs. More of a surprise was seeing Charlie Swift of the Entitled Sons, one of my favourite bands. Very gratifying to just see him at someone else's gig. A real music fan and not just a great rock singer.