September 2, 2005
02/09/05 – Junktion 7 (Nottingham)
So here we are at Junktion 7 (damn we just keep finding ourselves drawn back to this place!) and to kick off what promises to be a funky, fun night we have The Outroads. Sounding like they are straight out of Texas when in fact they are from Sheffield, these guys build up a soft, slow and funky set that mixes country rock, funk and blues influences with a hint of traditional English folk. The guitars and pedal steel wash over you quite pleasantly and it all has a very chilled out and laid back feel, only to be given a pick up by the rough, husky vocal of the guitarist/singer.
The soft distortion on the guitar gives them a grungy side but the wandering harmonica, pedal steel and violins make it diverse and original. With a tight drum and bass section, which uses funky blues scales to drive the songs, they have a really interesting sound.
They use some nice changes between soft and loud to give them feeling and dynamic and even though the tempo for the most is fairly slow and calm, the harmonica and violins give it energy at choice moments to lift the songs.
The loud bass and distinctive vocals leave the music imprinted into your head, giving the other instruments a chance to show off with some clever solos and funky breaks. It is all very tight especially when you consider the number of instruments and The Outroads seem well rehearsed and confident.
The only hold back was that the P.A didn’t seem to handle them and the violin was often to quiet and drowned out by the guitars, also the backing harmonies were hard to hear too.
You have to be in a chilled out mood for a band like this and we would be interested to hear them again on a sunny afternoon with a lager by a river somewhere, but tonight the crowd seemed to get a bit bored of their sound and the band seemed frustrated by the quality of sound. The Outroads create great music to chill out to with a really original and imaginative twist, defiantly worth checking out.
On a not too dissimilar vein, Left Of The Dealer take the stage to perform a more upbeat rendition of funk and blues. Using strong, clear vocals and funky, yet simple guitar riffs, Left Of The Dealer build songs that are moving, and filled with emotion. The inventive song structures change tempo and mood, with the tight drum and bass providing great dynamics giving the vocals and guitars room to experiment and carry the songs. The vocalist has a voice that is really easy on the ear and with the use of over-lapping backing vocals and harmonies the songs have real power. The two guitars inter-locked well, exchanging solo and rhythm duties. The bassist had got a really funky thing going on, using his fret board to full effect adding a strong energy and real bounce to their sound. They seemed very capable and confident on stage, with good movement and a relaxed attitude, the audience were woken up a bit and really got into certain songs. Catchy, funky and imaginative acoustic rock, with plenty of diversity and a good range if influences which gives Left Of The Dealer an original edge.
Tonight’s headliners are The Magic Heroes and with a growing reputation, we are looking forward to seeing their set. Adopting a style of rock, which is driven by diverse drumming and upbeat, funky basslines The Magic Heroes play with passion and confidence, and from the start of their set the crowd seemed enthusiastic. The drums provide the effective build-ups, with lots of great fills and along with the walking bass, give the guitar and vocals a chance to roam and experiment. The vocals are really laid-back and casual, with a bluesy edge picked the songs up really well. The songs are based around catchy and repetitive hook lines, but using plenty of dynamics and temp changes, The Magic Heroes are diverse and effective. The songs are given emotion by their strong and suave performances. It seemed like they knew full well that the crowd were going to love every note. It’s all very tight, but the songs still have a good flow and generate a funky, swinging atmosphere. This is classic 70’s funk rock, played with feeling that Hendrix and Led Zep would be proud of. The Magic Heroes ooze arrogance and embody the spirit of rock n roll.
Review by Gaz
