Amazing Live
Amazing Live Review – Dec 2011
Amazing Live rounded off a great year with another set of brilliant bands on show at the Bull & Gate for our December gig.
It’s a shame that Londoners Being There weren’t seen by more people for their wonderful opening slot, but those who witnessed the Young And Lost Club signings in action were treated to a great display of fuzzy, reverb-tinged mini-anthems, with Radio and Tomorrow both standing out in the midst of their rousing set.
The second band of the evening, Ice Black Birds, were quite something. At one stage during their performance, two members of Team Amazing turned to one another and started discussing whether or not this was “prog-punk”. The opening track seemed to clock in at over 15 minutes in length, full of intricate movements and powerful riffs. Then again, it might have simply been five different songs, all sewn together without the need to pause for breath. They finished with Amazing Radio favourite 22:22, drawing a huge ovation when they eventually downed tools.
Essex band Wild Combination soon followed, with a heart-warming collection of synth-soaked ‘hits-in-waiting’, playing as if their lives depended on it. Their showing was all the more impressive for the fact that the singer had woken up “on a bus in Finsbury Park” earlier that morning, after a heavy Christmas work do. As well as treating the ever-expanding throng to some brand new material, their rendition of We Are The Creatures went down a storm.
By the time headliners Red Kite took to the stage, the Bull & Gate was more heaving than it’s ever been for an Amazing Live event. It quickly became obvious that Daniel Fisher is a natural showman and a superb frontman, entertaining the crowd as much between songs as he was during them. Montreal was a true highlight as expected, but time and time again the five-piece impressed, rattling through a polished repertoire of new songs, each of them characterised by soaring melodies and mountain-sized guitars. All being well, they should flying even higher this time next year. (Images courtesy of Daniel Miller.)
