A marathon night of music at Brudenell Social Club began in the early evening with sets from James Carroll, Sons Of Great Men and MUNICH before FOLD arrived on stage and hooked up their projector.
Along with traditional instruments combined with synths and technology the band were accompanied by an impressive video display, which was entirely their own production. At times it almost seemed like a video lecture comprised of stock footage, flashing images and stirring visuals of icons like Martin Luther King. The composition of the film was worthy of an A* Degree show, but such was the quality of the imagery that it partially detracted from the music.
FOLD’s style fell somewhere between Public Service Broadcasting and 65daysofstatic. Whilst there was no doubting the ingenuity and intelligence of the work they offered, at times it momentarily failed to hold interest levels and was completely over shadowed by the gripping visuals. During the midway point of the set they really sprung to life and provided moments that were as equally captivating as the aesthetics of the film.
FOLD were followed by the nights headline act and local favourites Crybabycry. This was their first gig this year and they used this occasion to showcase some new material and confidently display how they have polished and developed their existing repertoire.
Crybabycry seemed to have added vigour than during prior, already vibrant and exciting, performances. Guitarist and vocalist Jonny Firth was riffing with more regularity, and his riffs were more intricate, complex and frantic. Nici Todd’s drumming felt harder and had extra prominence.
Having a month off from gigging certainly hadn’t affected the performance levels of the trio, Rosie Doonan’s vocals were flawless throughout. “Shine” was an early highlight, the bands willingness to experiment and freestyle gave the impression of a jamming session oozing with quality. Each member clearly felt relaxed on stage, safe in the knowledge that they had the full support and trust of the others to add their own elements of flair when appropriate.
Crybabycry then introduced us to some new material which showed the progression of the band over the last year or so. These tracks had an underlying current which was vaguely reminiscent of The Dead Weather as Rosie’s wandering bass lines came pounding through the sound system. The addition of rhythmically chanted harmonies proved to be exhilarating and edgy. “Spin City” also received its first ever live outing, their trademark soulful blues had been replaced with a harder edged style. This more rowdy song bubbled away through a long and engaging breakdown before one final rawkus chorus.
