Wednesday 5th April 06 - John Copley, Afterglow and Sidewinder at Quayside (1/2) By Emily

(1/2), (2/2)

This relatively new night has been running at the Quayside for just over a month now- named Quintessential Sessions- with live bands and fine Indie tunes every week. However, this gig showed the best turn-out so far. Regardless of whether this was due to the bands individual followings or simply word of mouth, it still proved that this night is just getting bigger and better.

The one low point of this weekly night is the venue. Though it is definitely bright, modern and a great bar, it doesn't work so well as a music venue. The stage is small, tucked snugly into a corner, and hidden by strategically placed pillars. Though this is a quite important factor, it is seemingly hardly noticed when the music begins.

The night really got started when John Copley took to the stage. John is resident at Quayside, playing his own take on an eclectic range of songs each week; ranging all the way from Prince to Taking Back Sunday. This week saw John perform songs by Arcade Fire, Editors and Michael Jackson, to name but a few.

Performing each song acoustically, he sings with a very soft yet powerful voice; adding a twist to every song he plays, almost to the point where they become unrecognisable, and undoubtedly his own. The fact that he does play cover songs is not only refreshing but also pays off, judging by the great reception he gets every single week. It seems he is gathering a great following, and deservedly so. The audience clearly relate to him, due to this varied choice of music.

After this interesting start to proceedings, Afterglow began their set, starting with the lengthy intro of Cut the Cannon. This was a good choice, as it really got everyone listening. Second song Promises however, is probably the most well known and loved song by Afterglow so far and why not?

The catchy choruses and Landaus-esque harmonies are massively appealing, and very sell-able. This is a great thing, no doubt, and even though the slick edge is an interesting asset to the band, it still seems some sort of raw edge is missing. This is pretty well made up however, as each song is totally different to the last, and really well written. This, teamed with the tight, gorgeous harmonies, makes the entire sound of Afterglow interesting and eventful, which is important, as the stage presence is lacking.

Singer Will has more than enough energy for the rest of the group, and Drummer Boba puts in a lot of effort too-important as the drums are an essential aspect of the bands' overall sound. However, thought the rest of the group clearly grew more confident as the gig went on, they still didn't come up with the performance that should come with the music.

If only a little more effort was made visually, the energy of the music would be portrayed a lot better- and I'm pretty sure that energy would have rubbed off onto the audience. Regardless of this, they still put on a great attention- grabbing set- a set that showed their potential to be a successful group. I'm probably the first person to admit that Afterglow have the potential to go far, but I still cant get my head around the vocals- it all seems a bit stage-school to me. This isn't always a bad thing- Will has an amazing voice, but in relation to the bands' music, I feel it just doesn't work.

Continued.... Next Page (2/2)

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