Sunday night I thought I’d recover from my experience at the NME Tour with some relaxing live music… what I got however, were three great performances (one from a familiar face) that were all very diverse…

Legs 11

After the carnage of the NME Shockwaves Tour (still nursing my new trainers back to health) I thought the last thing I needed was more indie music.  Wrong, because these boys were pretty good (despite looking like mini-version of The Kooks).  They fired out tracks reminiscent of Colour It In era Maccabees; mixing lighting guitar riffs with pacy drumming.

Threadneedle Street sounded great; powerful and engaging.  The last song (which I am naming, I’ll See You In The Morning) was an example of youthful, fresh indie music.  The standout though wasn’t even a song.  It was mid set, when the lead singer had some problem with his mic I think and they jammed a little bit, out come this slow bassy rolling rhythm that cried out to be sung over.  Then it just ended and they played the song they were planning to.

With my new found love for Indie music Legs 11 are a must.  I’m looking forward to seeing them play out later in the year because last night’s little taster left me pretty hungry.

For

Molotov Jukebox

Craziness is an acquired taste.  Sometimes crazy is mad and frightening.  Then there is those times when crazy is creative, fun and impulsive.  Molotov Jukebox are definitely nuts, yet out of that craziness they’ve made something very individual.  There are endless influences; Samba, Ska, Pop, Punk, Jazz… if you can think of it Molotov have probably mixed and blended it with about 18 things you never thought could be put together and made a song out of it.

It shouldn’t work, and completely random but it’s kinda fun in that guilty pleasure kind of way.  Oh and its pretty cheeky too, the punk-fused Samba of Don’t Stay is about her ‘c*** of an ex-boyfriend’  (her words not mine) then there’s Sex Foot, which used a White Stripes sample mixed with hard jazz overtones.  Summertime and Oh No I’m in Trouble Again also stood out, the songs kept fresh by mixing male and female vocals (and I swear I heard James Bond riff in there somewhere!).

Molotov Jukebox are loud, schizophrenic, with a manic and spontaneous performance.  Well worth a look if you’re willing to try some musical insanity, because odds are even though it shouldn’t you may find you like it.

For

Ed Sheeran

After the raucous randomness of Molotov Jukebox, Ed Sheeran took the stage to calm things down with some of his acoustic music and unique one-man show.

Apparently in 2009 Ed played over 300 gigs.  Yes, 300!  This level experience is unworldly and telling as he consistently puts on assured, quality performances.

Song like The City which include a  reggae inspired rap are exciting and refreshing.  New song The A Team (and personal fav. from the recently released Loose Change EP) was given new life with a bit more pace and kick over strummed guitar.

Sunday’s performance did seem to miss a little of Ed’s usual sparkle and fire.  He is an artist who  is always morphing, trying new things and absorbing influences and maybe after 300+ gigs he’s looking for the next thing to conquer.  He is head and shoulders above the vast majority of unsigned musicians on the scene at the moment so maybe he needs a new challenge.  Personally I’d love to see him play with a band (of some concoction) because it could provide a whole new angle to his music.

One things for sure seeing Ed play out is essential – you actually have no excuse when does so nearly every night.

Soulside Funk