February 18, 2006
Another Saturday night in the dark and cozy realms of Junktion 7 and tonights deliverance is acoustic, indie and electro pop. The first band, whose name I nearly failed to catch due to the lack of conversation with the crowd, were Nutron Stars, a pop band who were taking place of Felix tonight who had to cancel last minute due to illness. The band came on wearing red Felix cat tops to tell us that they were not actually Felix. Which was quite a let down seeing as I had been looking forward to seeing Felix again. Admittedly the start was poor and first impressions mean everything with the guitar and vocals in need of a bust up with a few kicks here and there. However I feared not when fortunately the second song was much more upbeat with the synthesizers coming in providing a happy and light electro sound. The band would fit into the trying to be comedy genre and the cheery pop songs would be perfect for a dance-a-long when getting ready to go out on the town. However I do warn you must be in the mood for this band. With simple melodies and ideas I felt as though I could probably predict how every other line was going to go. Although the crowd was a different story with dancing enthusiastic indie girls cheering when, you guessed it; the band told us they had yet another pop song. It was quite amusing how the percussion and synthesizer controller seemed to be in his own little bubble that had been blown away with the fairies. With all the songs sounding similar and a song about crabs the last song couldnt have been more awaited with excitement for the next 2 bands. This band is perfect for a warm up and a support band but I cannot imagine them anywhere else, at least not yet.
Next came We Show up on Radar who I had heard good things about but had not yet seen them live. The box for humour is automatically ticked when they joke that they do not have songs about crabs because that would just be stupid. There is an act when the singing voice is put on in a unique indie style which works really well. The synthesizers shove some animal noises into our ears making everybody laugh. It would be impossible to keep a straight face whilst watching this band. The leader of the band changes from his keyboard to a guitar and to another guitar showing a range of instrumentation. Our funny bones continue to be tickled when the lead singer claims that every song is based on a true story with subjects such as when he was a plant, a bubble, the only human spectator at an animal race and about when he was a car. The most interesting part of the night was the song 3 minutes and 10 seconds which is about getting old and in the background you hear a stern monochrome womans voice counting the seconds passing by. The song morphs the crowd into a trance and an almost melancholy lullaby. The percussion, synthesizers and sweet sounding melodies work fantastically together and the best bit is that it is all original. I would definitely recommend seeing this band if you have not already as soon as possible.
Last tonight is headliner Darran Hayman from the ex-band Hefner. Initially the sound is spot on with a perfect sounding guitar where a pin could be heard if it was dropped. The lyrics and vocals are fantastic and I really got into it. The set proved to be like an aging wine getting stronger through time and leaving a memorable aftertaste. Darran Hayman lives a parallel life and when he isnt touring and singing his heart and soul out to his fans he teachers art at an all girls catholic school in east London. These songs are written from a broken heart with songs about love, heartache and wanting the ideal and failing to do so and the only way to get over it is by singing it to a crowded room. The atmosphere is amazing with the crowd together in unity singing along to the beautiful lyrics. The stage presence is 10/10 with Darren talking to his fans and explaining the meanings and stories behind his songs. There is even experimentation and compromise when he brings a tiny guitar to the stage but predictably plays it wonderfully. The set is a mix of the solo acoustic songs and bouncier songs when the drummer comes in. It was the perfect end to the evening and I left with a really warm feeling.
Review by Kristi.
