Hotly tipped rockers The Family Rain look and sound rather like early, hairy Kings of Leon, blazing out a short set of riff-heavy rock and squirreling solos.
Moving the gig from Broadcast doesn’t do them any favours, forcing the trio to perform behind a barrier that separates them from the audience but they power through, delivering a set of feel-good rock n’ roll that nods to retro revivalists like The Black Crowes more than any of 2013’s indie trendsetters.
Howling through ‘Trust Me…I’m a Genius’, William Walter is an impressive frontman with the dynamism of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and the slightly sizzled charm of Russell Brand.
As the crowd packs to the barrier and speakers blare out, Willy Moon and his backing band take to the stage.
If The Family Rain is bursting with enthusiasm then Willy is something else, flinging himself back and forth like a puppet on a string, leaping from side to side and vamping it up like he’s playing to a crowd ten times the size.
Tellingly he keeps his eyes fixed on the back of the room – in his own mind at least, he’s already a superstar.
The predominantly female crowd hang on his every shimmy and whoop.
In some ways he’s the ultimate salesman, making up for the occasional paucities in songwriting with sharp-suited showmanship and verve.
He and his two female bandmates are at least fifty percent cheekbones; making them the most genetically superior collection of individuals assembled on stage outside of a Robert Palmer video.
How much they are actually playing live is anyone’s guess, with synth, bass and sound effects added from offstage but the chemistry between the musicians is palpable and all three undoubtedly look fantastic.
Opening with a combustible version of ‘I’m Shakin’, Willy shake, rattle and rolls through eleven songs in just 35 minutes.
His fusion of fifties songcraft with modern beats is furiously high energy, nodding cheekily to Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran on ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ and collapsing to the floor like James Brown during the closing riot of future single ‘My Girl’.
It’s slightly disappointing that the only song to really get the crowd shuffling is Apple advert staple ‘Yeah Yeah’ but he undoubtedly has charisma and stage presence to spare and it’s easy to see why Jack White was so keen to record with the young star.
His debut album, Here’s Willy Moon, arrives next month but the difficulty will be in translating such an intense live show to record.
Words: Max Sefton
Photos: Stewart Fullerton
