Live Review and Interview with Alain from Isabel At Sunset (Tea Kettle Records) (1/3) By Michelle Dee

(1/3), (2/3), (2/3).

Photography Gallery Isabel At Sunset Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Rocky Nest Gallery,   People Gallery.

I caught up with the Italian front man Alain on Bank Holiday Sunday evening just before his band Isabel at Sunset were due to sound check. Isabel at Sunset the critically acclaimed Parma band made quite an impact with their debut album Meet The Gang last year. Rave reviews followed from amongst others, Treblezine who awarded the five piece indie rock band Album Of The Week.

The reviewer for Treblezine was one Tom Lee; ex Hull man and long time music fan, now living down south. Such was his euphoria on hearing Meet The Gang he decided to promote the band and their music by booking them some UK gigs and shouting the name Isabel wherever he went. He must be doing a reasonable job because the previous night Isabel at Sunset were supporting ex Creation Boss Alan McGee's new hopefuls The Grunt at Borderline in London.

Alain says he and the other two travelling band members of Isabel at Sunset played, to a frantic crowd. They've been asked back to play again in June so they undoubtedly impressed some of the right people.

(Tonight Tom had got them a well attended Sunday night gig at the Adelphi alongside new found friends The Rocky Nest. Having written about this band only last month, I'll just say that the Rocky Nest's headline performance was a tour de force once more. A party atmosphere grew around the room as Paul, Viv, Lou and co grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns and swung it around much like a pizza chef making dough).

Alain (Isabel at Sunset) feels that the British music fans are far more enthusiastic than in Italy particularly than in his home town of Parma. He explains that there is not a big Indie scene in Italy and just one club in Parma playing Indie music to a hard core of maybe twenty or so Indie loving regulars. Isabel at Sunset's music is informed and influenced by the likes of Pavement, Grandaddy, Sparklehorse and The National. The sound cuts obvious swathes through nineties Brit pop by way of stateside experimentalism and a nod or more in the direction of multi instrumentalists Arcade Fire, and the earlier work of The Flaming Lips.

Continued .... Next Page (2/3)

Photography Gallery Isabel At Sunset Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Rocky Nest Gallery,   People Gallery.

Photographs courtsey and Copyright © 2007  Michelle Dee

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