Previous Friday I was watching Stereophonics at Finsbury Park - estimated crowd 45,000. This Friday, Sweet Unrest in the upstairs room at Camden Eye - estimated crowd 45. Yes a stark contrast. But a lot cheaper, and much less of an endurance test. And I enjoyed all three bands here more than the opening act at Finsbury Park, without having to wait for three hours in the sun to see them. Much easier to get to the bar too, and much cheaper and wider selection.
I also met a chap in the audience from a band that I am seeing next week! There is a quite a tight London indie scene.
Anyway, the two supports were totally unknown to me, so didn't have much in the way of expectations. Opening were Risco who were pretty fair, certainly better than they looked. Let's just say it would be hard to pull off checked jacket with lycra shorts, and their lead singer didn't! They did a cover of 21st Century Boy by T Rex if you wanted to place their style.
Second support was a girl called Lucca Mae. Wow. Now she was seriously a cut above. If I go to what is an indie bill I expect a female singer to deliver shouty vocals over some sort of punk band. But not at all. Think Amy Winehouse but far prettier. (And I guess, alive.) Her voice was that good. Very mellow, soulful. Beardy bloke at the far side on guitar was really good too. I think she could make it.
And finally the normal set from Sweet Unrest. I do always love seeing them. I think in part just because they feel like a group of overgrown kids trying to remain kids. While playing great music which is very much to my personal taste. I do think the band are improving. Although the icing on the cake is always the unpredictability of Jack on lead vocals, the bedrock is the the three guitarists, all of whom are not too shabby on backing vocals either. As ever, a good night.
Now I had expected this to be an incredibly hot and sweaty gig given it was upstairs from a pub and had been 30C for most of the day. But no, thanks to a beast of an air conditioning unit I was actually regretting my decision to venture out in just a t-shirt. Was nice leaving just to warm up a bit! Obviously one doesn't want to stand in a sauna for three hours, but I don't mind a bit of a sweaty gig.
They apparently had an after party round the corner at the Dublin Castle. Not really my age group but I can imagine the lads had fun.
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