Gallops!

Local rock instrumentalists, Gallops! recently secured a slot at the ‘Radio 1 Big Weekend’, among a line-up of top British signed acts, but I have never heard nor seen them. I have to say I was impressed with the bands performance and admire the guys for opting to perform without vocals - how many competent rock instrumental bands are you aware of that have actually succeeded? The key of course is how skilled the band is at writing, as well as performing. The good news is that the band’s songs are melodic and even memorable, my only criticism being that there were not enough ‘big moments’ when songs built to rushing crescendos. I made a mental note to watch this band develop…

The Joy Formidable

“Ritzy Bryan and Rhydian Dafydd are originally from Mold, near Wrexham. Ritzy eventually went to Washington DC and Rhydian to Manchester. With Matt Thomas on drums; a raw and forceful drummer; The Joy Formidable have thrived on the live front. Soundscape layers are spiked by the nakedness of a 3-piece; gargantuan, clamorous bass and guitars come in waves; Ritzy seething and cooing in equal measure.”

Judging from the number of punters than began to pile into the venue, and after a brief chat with some young female fans (who recognised me from recent Maccabees gig in Liverpool), I wondered why on earth I hadn’t heard about this band. I actually asked the band’s drummer Matt who the band’s PR company was in order to follow up the gig. In our experience PR companies can be as much a hindrance as a benefit… So without any prior knowledge of the band’s songs I was left to judge the live performance. I was more than impressed; I was close to being ‘blown away.’

Just before the show I noticed three pristine guitars together on a stand over to the left of the stage while, in complete contrast, another rather battered example lay on the floor in the middle of the stage. I wondered if this was indicative of the characters I was about to witness… The diminutive lead lady and guitarist Ritzy picked up the battered piece and proceeded to add a few more years to its life with a dynamic performance that surprised and delighted. This little blond lady really is a bit special. Her vocals were faultless whether she crooned or spat out lyrics, and her bass guitar work came a pretty close second. Rhydian watched her every move as he provided top quality guitar and vocal support, while Matt on drums contributed the band’s strong rhythmic foundation in explosive heavy rock style.

Was it a victory of style over content? This band’s songs are pretty good too with plenty of melody, and a tendency to build like a slow burning fuse finally detonating - big-time. If I was point scoring: Style 8/10, Skill 8/10, Content 8/10. It really doesn’t get much better…

Set List

Whirring, Hell House, Austere, The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade, Anemone, The Last Drop, Ostrich, Cradle.