Skip to main content

LIVE: Black Honey @ Bedford Esquires (23/03/2017)


Once the chance to see such a promising upcoming band in an intimate venue arose, it would've been a crime to miss out. With Freak also performing, it was almost like seeing two headliners for the price of one. However, we hadn't heard of Superego before, but they did not disappoint in proving they had the capability of headlining their own gig soon. This was definitely a night to remember and all great bands to get into, whether you already like Black Honey or not.


Superego got the night under way, showcasing their supreme songs during their 30 minute support slot. They have a unique, dynamic sounds that got everyone dancing, up until the moment when the amp blew and the set had to be stopped temporarily. However, they recovered from the interruption quickly and continued to deliver a powerful set, which left the crowd wanting more. Definitely a band to look out for in the months to come, as are Freak and Black Honey.

Freak then took to the stage and got the crowd going from the start. Highlights included raucous renditions of 'I like to smile when I'm sad,' 'cake,' and a cover of Britney Spears' 'Toxic,' which they made their own. They increased the tempo set by Superego and encouraged everyone to dance along to their rambuncuous tracks. Freak, also known as Connar Ridd, showed off his high-energy as he shredded his way through a number of their most blood-pumping tunes. The crowd responded to Freak's charisma - reminiscent of Rat Boy's equally charismatic stage-presence - by wildly jumping and singing along to every line.

Finally, Black Honey arrived along with their familiar style, clearly influenced by Quentin Tarantino's plethora of movies. Izzy Phillips, the lead singer, delivered the heartfelt lyrics with confidence, with Tommy Taylor (bass), Chris Ostler (guitar) and Tom Dewhurst (drums), creating a unique sound together. After performing some of their best songs, the lights dimmed and the crowd was drawn to silence as everyone wondered what was happening. Only Chris and Izzy stayed on stage, as they began a soulful acoustic version of 'Cadillac,' a B-side to their newest single 'Somebody Better.' This was a first for them, as Bedford was the beginning of their 10-show tour, and quite a magical moment for the crowd and band, who interacted with the eager crowd. After playing a plethora of some of their best tracks, they departed the stage only to re-emerge to play one of their most loved singles - 'Corinne' - which was warmly received by the crowd.  

After the show had finished, we approached the merch stand and were warmly greeted by the lovely Izzy, who kindly went out of her way to find us some temporary tattoos of the Black Honey logo. She also signed our posters and told us to "keep in touch", which was pleasant to see how much she genuinely cared about her fans.

Check out Black Honey's newest single, Somebody Better, and the accompanying B-side, Cadillac.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

10 Best Albums of 2020

We can all agree that 2020 has been a tumultuous journey from beginning to end, never failing to provide one disappointment after the other. Seemingly, the only rewarding thing about 2020 has been the music made in lockdown, the albums we've been blessed with or, for some people, it's Taylor Swift releasing not one but two full-length albums this year. Musicians have been unable to perform live, meaning The Night Cafe's 2019 tour is set to take place in 2030 if they're lucky.  I'll have to admit, I've been a bit behind. It'll take me a good few months to sit down and properly listen to an album unless a miracle happens and I listen to it the day it's released. You'll notice that the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Rina Sawayama aren't on here and, it isn't because I'm not a fan, I'm just the worst kind of procrastinator. I'm sure all of your favourites deserve a spot on here, so I'm going to cement my apology before I continue.  ...

Post-rock outfit HAAL release monumental 'Memorial'

  Following up from their debut single, Carmen Jones , released last year and accumulating just over 1,600 streams, the Bristol rockers have shaken up the system with their latest release Memorial , a cacophony of orchestral sounds mixed with progressive influence. Photo: Amia Watling With a sound reminiscent of Slint and a hint of Nine Inch Nails , HAAL is a band that wouldn’t sound out of place soundtracking a David Fincher m ovie . Memorial is a track that creeps up on you and rewards you for your patience. Even more rewarding is the wall of distortion in the climax of the song, ending the song in beautiful grandness.  There is evidence of the band's knowledge of music theory in their clever usage of dissonance, a complex time signature, and a complex structure so tasteful that if it was plated up in the Masterchef final, it would be more tear-jerking than getting a 7 from Anthony Fantano. The math-rock influence is unmistakable; beginning with the introduction of the dru...

Black Country, New Road release highly anticipated debut album 'For the first time'

  Black Country, New Road start off their highly anticipated debut album with an instrumental that sets the tone for the rest of the songs. The track is nothing but effortless; alike puff pastry with its copious layers you’re left struggling to count, and sounding like something soundtracking a Damien Chazelle film.  For the first time , the newest offering from a promising young band (with 7 very good, very talented members), is bound to be divisive — I mean, you can’t please everyone . With the band being compared to acts who don’t fit into any given genre, thus being packed into a box together to form some sort of ‘odd one out’ sound, such as the likes of Squid , black midi , and Girl Band , they’ve become the genre most would describe as simply ‘weird’. What else do you use to describe a band who seamlessly blur the lines between the genres they’re being told they belong to? Sure, they’re a fusion of post-punk and whatever else people brand them as but, for me, they’re a...