Issue 43 / April 2014

eakneck riffs as bassist-cum-producer Dean
Reid steadies the canvas with a solid easel of
chunky basslines.
Hewitt’s asides to the quietly appreciative
crowd are as indistinguishable as the two-part
harmonised lyrics of the songs coming from the
hotly-tipped band’s eponymous debut album.
Nevertheless, there’s a feeling of rapture in the
air as many are revelling in seeing their new
favourite band.
Cheatahs’ narrow perimeters of a fourpiece
exploring what Foo Fighters would have
sounded like if they stayed at their Everlong-era
peak instead of going for stadia mega bucks
retains interest, but the discreet appreciation
could be mistaken for a mid-set lull. However,
the international quartet (hailing from the US,
Canada, Germany and Leicester) save the best
until last with familiar early singles The Swan
and Cut The Grass bringing a joyous close to
proceedings.
Cheatahs are certainly an exciting proposition;
in fact as the band come in from the early break
in The Swan they seem vital, but whether their
niche sound of early-90s American alt. rock can
keep “that rock ‘n’ roll” from “the sludge” is
another question. It is perhaps more accurate to
assume Cheatahs prefer it in the sludge.
Sam Turner / @samturner1984
LUKE SITAL-SINGH
Eliza And The Bear – Annie Eve – Farewell JR
Communion @ Leaf
The tagline for Communion Music's inaugural
New Faces tour boasts “an incredibly exciting
and diverse four-band bill” with some of 2014's
most hotly-tipped artists. It's definitely a bold
claim, so does it measure up?
Cambridge five-piece FAREWELL JR, led by
bearded troubadour Nick Rayner, open the
show with a highly intoxicating set of rootsy
chamber-pop from their latest EP Health.
Rayner's vocal style is heavily reminiscent
of Jeff Buckley and also brings to mind the
sandpapery fragility of Iron & Wine, with the
lyrics delivered sensitively but with tremendous
power. Swooshing crash cymbals from a
double percussion section lend texture and
presence to the songs, along with haunting
five-piece harmonies á la Fleet Foxes, together
with the occasional spacey synth.
Londoner ANNIE EVE is the next act on, mixing
harmony-laden alt. folk with echoed slide guitar
melodies and a thunderous rhythm section that
gives a hefty backbone to her soaring vocal and
raw emotional delivery. A nonchalant vibe that
evokes Lana Del Rey or Anna Calvi, in addition
to songs like Hunters and Elvis, showcases
her incredible heart-on-sleeve approach
to songwriting, which is simultaneously
introspective and powerfully emotive.
Raising the energy levels a few notches,
ELIZA AND THE BEAR burst onto the stage with
a cascading, boisterous and excitable flurry
of up-tempo indie tunes that stand in stark
contrast to the restrained and introverted
sound of the previous acts. Bringing a buoyant
vibe to the night, be-quiffed guitarist Martin
Dukelow bobs his head wildly along to every
song while the band run through recent
singles Friends and It Gets Cold, along with a
couple of as-yet-unreleased tracks. Their sound
combines the textural elements of Crystal
Fighters with the preppy, guitar-driven quality
of Two Door Cinema Club, while Earbuddy
features pealing trumpet riffs that lends a
somewhat mariachi feel to the song. Despite
none of the five blokes that make up the band
being called Eliza (and, disappointingly, no
bear either), they're nothing but energetic, fun
and undeniably danceable.
Thus, it feels like it could be something of an
anti-climax when headliner LUKE SITAL-SINGH
opens his set with I Have Been A Fire. That is, until
he starts singing. Sital-Singh brings a powerful
and emotionally charged performance that
represents an artist who fully becomes his music
and lives every second of it. Time and space fade
into the periphery as rasping guitars are married
with his gritty but sensitive vocal delivery and the
audience is drawn to the front of the stage and
into his world. Songs like Luna and Nothing Stays
The Same speak entirely for themselves and Sital-
Singh needs none of the bombast or distraction
of busy, quick arrangements as his material has
an absorbing and understated complexity that
packs the emotive punch of Damien Rice and the
guttural fire of early Springsteen.
Gig PR can often vary from the lightly
hyperbolic to the fully ridiculous and untrue, so
it's nice to see that Communion have made good
on their word. Incredibly exciting and diverse,
and wholly enjoyable.
Your bag?
Your Bag?
TANKUS THE HENGE
Ryan McElroy
Catch Ben Watt @ East Village
Arts Club on 17th April
The John Rangan Band – James Lyons –
Harlequin Dynamite Marching Band
Speakeasy @ The Kazimier
Once again The Kazimier time-warps back
to the Roaring 20s as Speakeasy take over the
Wolstenholme Square venue. Guys and dolls in
sharp suits and flapper dresses Charleston and
foxtrot in an absinthe-fuelled haze to the jazz/
hip hop mash-ups of local DJ duo The Chicken
Bros, who lord over the punters from the top of
the stage until the acts arrive.
It can often be hard for opening acts to grab
the attention of the audience, but that’s a nighon
impossible feat with HARLEQUIN DYNAMITE
MARCHING BAND; with a constantly shifting