It is good to be at The Lower Third, the venue we hope to use for Fresh on the Net Live. It is the Outernet’s ‘grassroots venue’ linked to the larger venue Here. It is, however, a little annoying that ticket holders have not been told earlier in the day that Girlband!, the main attraction from our perspective, have pulled out of the gig when BBC Introducing have clearly known this for at least five or six hours. I still would have chosen to come and take a chance on the late replacement but I ought to have been given the choice; especially since this has changed the balance from being a mainly indie guitar band night to a mainly acoustic singer-songwriter one.
My mood is not helped by the compere whose cheesy panto-style presenting is not exactly what I would expect at an indie gig. When he repeatedly reminds us about all the prestigious media he writes for, it only underlines the fact that he ought to be better informed. So, in addition to the tiresome attempts to make us shout ‘What’s that?’ every time he mentions BBC Introducing, I feel the urge to shout ‘Oh no it isn’t’ in response to his disingenuous claims about the BBC and an additional ‘look behind you’ when the drummer of Daydreamers is patiently waiting to start performing!
Much as I usually refrain from criticising people in my reviews, I cannot let a few of his statements go without putting them right. Firstly, you cannot credibly present BBC Introducing as an exciting new concept when it has been going for 16 years and is nowhere near as good as it once was thanks to swingeing BBC cuts in local and specialist broadcasting. Secondly, anyone who is an independent artist and has a BBC Introducing account knows that the claim that there are people in every location whose ‘sole job is to listen to your music’ is not only false but, in a great many cases, when you check the status of the track you uploaded, it never even reaches ‘Listened’.
The most indefensible of his claims, however, is that, when it comes to supporting grassroots music, BBC Introducing is the only game in town. I could provide him with a long list of people, mostly unpaid volunteers, who give their own time and resource to do far more than the BBC to support grassroots music (Fresh on the Net, Trust The Doc Media, Songbird HQ Joyzine, Only The Host etc. etc.) and, in the process, support far more artists. If you are going to dismiss the work of hundreds of dedicated individuals, you cannot complain when you get flak for doing so.
Essence Martins @ The Lower Third
Anyway, to the gig itself! The replacement for Girlband! is London singer-songwriter Essence Martins. Often, when an entire set consists of one acoustic guitar with vocals, it can be trying after a while but that is not the case with Essence. Helped by her friends Alison and Hayden on backing vocals, she immediately grabs our attention with her thoughtful reflective songs, expressive voice and goose-bumping harmonies.
She is an engaging character, delighted to be here and enthusiastically talking about the songs. Wandering Souls is about considering all the big questions (i.e. Is there a God?) and is ‘very spiritual’. She talks movingly about her twin sister who has just returned from four years’ studying in the USA [and is in the audience] and tells us the song Brussel Sprouts is about her. At one point in the set, the backing vocalists both get some solo verses and their voices are stunning too. I presume both are involved in solo or other projects where they get to sing lead. But it is how their voices gel that is especially magical tonight.
Essence persuades the audience to sing with her on Like A Fool which has a beautiful chorus. She ends with Quite Imperfect which is about how the reality of relationships and people never lives up to the unrealistic ideal and, she tells us, she has never yet been in love which I am sure will soon change given her warm and passionate personality. It is a strong finish to a lovely set and the audience has been enthusiastic from the outset. This has more than made up for the absence of Girlband!
Jacob Alon @ The Lower Third
Next up is Jacob Alon, all the way from Fife in the East of Scotland. Switching between two acoustic guitars and a range of tunings, sometimes involving a lot of open fifths, his ability to play intricate picking parts while adding bassline and little melodies is highly impressive and he has the voice and charisma to match. There are obvious comparisons to be made, especially with Jeff Buckley, but also with Nick Drake and early John Martyn.
Jacob is extremely likeable and quite amusing too. He praises Essence Martins (who responds enthusiastically from the audience) and says he hopes they can stay in touch and be friends which is especially sweet. He gets some laughs when he uses a plug for Pride to say the ensuing song is about shame which, he proffers, is the manure we have to deal with on the way to achieving some pride. He duly explains that Liquid Gold 25 is about a disastrous Grindr date! Elijah is about his nasty [and thankfully no longer connected] stepdad! Despite this, it has an uplifting major key style and breeziness. At times he rises into the most spine-tingling falsetto range.
Such is his rapport with the audience that he gets away with taking about 5 minutes to nail the guitar tuning for the last track. It has been an enjoyable, engaging set and a showcase for his considerable vocal talent and guitar playing expertise.
Daydreamers @ The Lower Third
The final act of the night is the London quartet Daydreamers. The band recently saw their track Call Me Up achieve half a million streams in 4 days so they clearly have momentum and have already had support from BBC Radio 1. They hit the stage with great enthusiasm and immediately launch into energetic Pop Rock with male and female vocals and some pretty lead guitar figures.
The main vocalist [and rhythm guitarist to use a traditional term!] is a confident performer, geeing up the audience and bouncing around the stage. The bassist is also a bundle of energy and her voice complements his very well. This is a band who exude enjoyment in what they do and they are clearly having a blast. Her ability to interlock with the drums despite both playing often busy fuid parts is the bedrock on which the guitars add their sparkle.
Colourblind has an epic pop quality about it and that tendency towards big gestures and big hooks is a key element of their sound. The audience warms to their enthusiasm and they round off a successful night with an upbeat and well received set. The venue has been packed too, adding to the positive atmosphere.
Essence Martins
Jacob Alon
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