With four relatively up and coming bands of varying styles and genres taking to the stage, tonight’s bill at King Tut’s is a busy one.
At gigs like this, playing first is always a tricky job, especially when half your audience is still downstairs chatting at the bar, however, naturally this doesn’t faze Sonic Templars, who storm the stage and perform with the conviction and confidence of a headline act.
Their growling riffs and fiery drum fills kick the night off to an electric start and as the set progresses finally the stragglers see sense and come upstairs for a lesson in weighty, meaty music.
It’s evident from the ease and technical sophistication with which they launch into their set that a lot has changed for Acrylic since they first appeared on our radar with the release of their debut EP just over a year ago.
This development is epitomised by upcoming single ‘Coast’, which places an instrumental track from their first record in the context of rich harmonies, a driving beat and intelligent yet memorable lyrics performed with their distinctive velvet vocals.
Above all, it’s thoroughly enjoyable to watch a band who, through their smooth musical transitions between songs and visible passion, demonstrates a sound understanding of the art of playing live.
Enemies of the State achieve an impressive feat by having a large section of the, now steadily growing crowd, chanting their name before they even play their first chord.
Following an atmospheric and tension building sci-fi style introduction, the band resume the rocky tone set by Sonic Templars and proceed to unleash their explosive sound of volcanic proportions.
Due to the contrast in styles between this set and tonight’s headliner, it would be fair to say that not everyone present is a fan of this kind of music, but it’s testament to their engaging performance that it’s not long before that famous King Tut’s floor is jumping in time with their rhythm.
Finally it’s time for The Hearts, a band hailing from Wales who specialise in creating stadium pop/rock with a depth generally not found within this genre – again, this is extremely different from each of the three other acts, but the accessibility of this music makes it impossible to resist dancing along regardless of personal preference.
This is particularly the case with ‘Lips’, a slick upbeat number with a strong essence of the 80s and enormous potential in terms of popularity.
On occasion, it could be said that their lyrics teeter on the verge of clichéd territory, but ultimately in a live setting this is equally a blessing, as the crowd are having no trouble singing along.
Euphoric Britpop-edged anthem ‘Celebrate’ is an apt conclusion to the evening, as the breadth of talent displayed tonight is most definitely a worthy cause for celebration.
Words: Ellen Renton
