Fenech Soler, Tunbridge Wells Forum, 3/11/10

Despite The Forum starting out life as a public toilet, since it’s conception eighteen years ago as a music venue it’s played host to what have eventually become some rather successful bands. Coldplay, Oasis, Green Day, The Libertines and more recently Mystery Jets and White Lies are amongst this list, so it’s no surprise that one of the most exciting bands of 2010 are playing here tonight and adding their name to the list of esteemed alumni; Fenech Soler.

The quartet gracing the stage take no prisoners from the off, launching into the resonant and pounding bass notes of ‘Battlefields’. As the grinding electro beats and synths reverberate around the room, the tone is set for the subsequent 45 minute showcase. Lead singer Ben Duffy’s high-pitched vocals provide the ideal counterpart to the crunkier instrumentals that support them, and the veracity and panache in his performance certainly aids in creating the party atmosphere that suits them so well.

Smoothly transitioning through ‘LA Love’ into the throbbing rhythms of last single ‘Lies’, the crowd finally start to warm up as they’re hit by twinges of song recognition and the band undeniably feed off the positive response they receive from their small audience. The scratching intro of ‘Contender’ is remarkably catchy and provides a great foundation to a track that gets everyone moving. Upcoming single ‘Demons’ swings between softer verses and frenetic choruses and provides a gratifying variation that keeps us on our toes, whilst ‘Stone Bridge’ changes the pace entirely. The addition of piano on stage at this point detracts from the guitars and synths that previously dominate, and demonstrates the band’s more affecting side whilst also illustrating their ability to veer away from the upbeat funk-driven style they’re more accustomed to producing.

Fenech Soler are undoubtedly a great live band, with their musical ability and vocal prowess proving predominantly unfaltering. Tonight established that the group’s energy and enthusiasm in addition to their vivacious sound can and will inject life into stoic rooms nationwide and cause even the most resistant of audiences to succumb to their addictive electro-pop charms in the end.

This review was originally published on www.culturedeluxe.com

Harrys Gym, Tunbridge Wells Forum, 13/5/10

Whereas their current Scandanavian peers such as Casiokids and Love Is All have opted for a more upbeat sound, Harrys Gym tonight are here to prove that, like Mew, ethereal melancholy can be just as affecting. If there's one word to describe Harrys Gym's sound, it's atmospheric. Soft, swirling electro backings combined with lead singer Anne's angelic vocals soon engulf and transport you to a sense of abandonment; something many musicians from these lands seem to be able to encapsulate in such sublime fashion.

The first couple of opening tracks tonight demonstrate their haunting pop at its best, with slow tempos and eerie, light vocals lulling the audience into a rather quiescent state. Even the playing of their instruments reflects their tender nature, as Anne strums her guitar so gently it appears she is barely stroking it, let alone dictating it with a vigour that most guitarists usually attack with. Halfway through the set their style changes noticeably, changing the ambience in the room completely, and perhaps for the better. The mellow essence previously exhibited is replaced with heavier guitars and drum thrashing that pounds straight through the heart of the room. Vocally there is a swift change too, with Anne's voice becoming stronger and more determined, and displaying a definite Bjork-like edge. Yet despite this change, the chilling nature their songs emit is never lost and it is clear that this acts as an integral element to their overall sound.

Harrys Gym certainly have plenty of potential and they are undoubtedly on their way to being something special. The problem is that as beautiful as their dreamy sound may be, it is sometimes too light and fragile to actually make an impact. Ultimately, the band need to define their overall sound better and work on creating a greater stage presence, and it will be after this that we will see them maximise their talent to the full.


This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk