with Brandon Neal, Chambers, Ohana, Scumbag Lion, Earls and Our City Fires
Reviewed by Trevor Locke and Kevin Gaughan
The third generation of Leicester’s longest-running live music venue.
Advertised as the re-launch party day 2.
This gig was to celebrate the new head honcho of The Shed, Tom Carnell.
A line-up of Leicester’s finest rock bands: Oceans Apart, Our City Fires, Scumbag Lion, Chambers, Earls, Brandon Neal, Ohana. Most of which I have seen before.
This evening’s show was promoted by Arclight Music.
It was so good to be back.
Kevin writes – Kicking off the evening’s proceedings, to an already half-full room, was Brandon Neal, one of Leicester’s great and rather wacky performers.
His music ranged from angry, noisy and shouty to soft, subtle, heartfelt and beautifully crafted, such as Luminary of the Stars which was a stand-out moment for me. Ending his performance lying upside down with his head dangling off the stage, I wouldn’t have expected anything else from this eccentric Leicester musician.
A great start to the gig.
Next up on this evening’s busy schedule were Leicester’s finest gravelly, blues inspired rock bands, Chambers.
Loving the laid back, grungy-ness of this band, the vocals always take me back to my favourite blues/rock bands of my youth namely, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Aerosmith, with the gravelly vocals and general swaggery-ness of the tunes, they put on a great performance. and left me wanting more, much more.
Trevor writes – Ohana put on a really good set. A band full of the energy of youth. They are very good at what they do. Their set was aflame with colour and vibrancy. This is a band I like very much. Their music is ear-lickingly good. On stage they sizzle. The lead singer is a fine vocalist. This is one of the bands of which I am an ardent follower. Their songs are full of compelling rhythms.
Kevin adds – next up were four-piece alt-rockers, Scumbag Lion, musically tight, clearly more focused on knocking out some quality indie tunes and getting it right than smashing up the stage with a ballsy stage-presence. However, they were a welcome addition to the line-up and their music was good.
Trevor continues – Earls. Larger than ever before. The one-time duo are now a full band. The music still has that strident vitality than has earned Earls an enthusiastic following. It has been said before, “They are unique” and it’s worth saying again.
Idiosyncratic. Full of character. With songs that make an impact. This was a band that had the audience in raptures.
Another popular local band, Our City Fires have a presence that is obvious. The band put on a good show with rhythmic guitar work and catchy vocal melodies. Pounding drums, bouncing beats, strong vocals – they had it all.
Oceans Apart. What can I say? That I have not already said before. One of the Leicester’s finest rock bands. Not just for their songs. They put on a stage performance that is hard to equal. You could go just to watch them.
Heavier, harder and punchier than in the old days, their music is now crackling. It’s full-on and in-your-face and that is why they have maintained a large fan base over the years.
As I sipped my pint, I reflected that I have been coming to The Shed for twenty years. I could write a whole book about the nights I have had in this venue. The Shed – surviving everything since 1994 – that’s something worth writing about. Twenty-eight years of magic.
Reviewed by Trevor Locke and Kevin Gaughan
This gig was organised by Arclight Music
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