Various artists took to the stage on this night; a busy night of music ranging from acoustic, DIY tunes to art rock. While these individual acts were talented in their own right, the lineup of this evening was disjointed and I was being thrown between genres during each performance.
The night opened with solo artist James Pullen, who’s heartfelt lyrics and acoustic melodies resonated throughout the room. It was a beautiful experience to see the love he has for his own music and the same can be said for the fans who came to watch him perform. The crowd was small and intimate but this added to the underground, busking vibe which emanates from his music. James played a variety of his original music, including ‘Dancing on the Edge’ which certainly lived up to a “songs around the campfire” aesthetic. The highlight of the set for me was his cover of ‘Sleepwalking’ by Bring Me The Horizon. As a huge fan of BMTH myself, I was truly in awe of James’ acoustic version of this song. He managed to retain the original power of the track, but with his own unique twist which made for a very moving performance.
Next, a late addition to the lineup, was indie rock act Yakov McIntosh, who brought an art rock / new wave vibe to the stage. They performed a range of their original material, including a cover of The Cure’s ‘Boys Don’t Cry’. It’s still early days for these guys in the gigging scene, but with more practice and experience they could become more confident and cohesive live performers.
Taking to the stage afterwards were Bighead Tea Drinkers, a four-piece band hailing from Brighton. As a ‘not-your-average-indie-band’, these guys bring a fusion of catchy pop melodies and gritty rock; the result being a sound not dissimilar to Catfish and the Bottlemen, Blossoms and even some influences from the 90s British music scene. A standout track for me was ‘The Way She Goes’ which truly solidified that these guys are the ones to watch. An incredible breakdown and guitar solo, paired with high energy drums, literally gave me goosebumps!
Finally, our headliners for the night were Peace and Panic, an indie rock band from Coventry. These guys gave us punchy instrumentals, shouty lyrics and a proper Arctic Monkeys vibe. Unfortunately a few technical difficulties let them down to begin with but lead singer Justin maintained a professional attitude, all while having a lot of fun. I would love to hear more from these guys, yet from this performance I felt their music lacked originality and a unique flair which I expected to see, considering these guys are such fun and exciting personalities. Peace and Panic have two singles out on spotify currently and are set to release more in 2024, I look forward to hearing what’s next for the boys!