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DECADENCE/ PHOENIX
17th May 2004
By Terry Bullen
The last heat of the first round was finally upon us and it was another night of two different styles of music to entertain the crowds.
PHOENIX:The first band to grace the stage for the evening was the 11 piece jazz and soul band Phoenix. This band filled the whole of the stage with two female vocalists, five saxophones, a guitarist, drummer, bass player and keyboards. The band had a wonderful sound and they were the ideal outfit for a large venue and stage setting.
Phoenix got their set underway with a song called “If You Leave Me”. The song was a well chosen opening, as the five sax players enjoyed every minute of it in their black shirts with silver ties. The twin vocals were immediately striking and were not just great on there own but also fantastic when brought together, which was the case for this song and most of the songs in the bands set. This was followed by an instrumental song “Knuckle Head” which started out with a bass intro, as the band was introduced to the crowds. The song allowed all of the musicians to get involved and especially the guitarist with the first of many talented guitar solos.
The bands fourth song of the set was their best cover of the night, as the crowd were treated to an amazing vocal by one of the singers. Her voice was deep and soulful and was mixed in with some controlled sax playing to deliver a spine tingling cover of the Bill Withers song “Aint No Sunshine”. This was followed by another well performed original “Rescue Me” by Aretha Franklin, which saw the other vocalist go solo to show off her fantastic voice.
The middle of the set contained another instrumental “Water Melon Man” where the bass and guitar were strong and evident yet again. This was followed by the bands weakest song of the night “The Letter” which didn't grab the attention of the crowd, who seemed quiet happy to mess about amongst themselves instead of watching the band. This was short lived though, as the band grabbed the attention of the audience straight back with a funky/jazzy number “Chameleon”.
Phoenix then delivered a song called “N.S.U.” which was up-tempo and contained some extremely powerful harmonised vocals. The drummer was in his element throughout this song and gave a great display, which was topped by a solo that had some of the crowd clapping along. This song would have been a fitting way to have closed the set but because of the time that was remaining the band slotted in another cover. The cover was a rendition of The Animals song “We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place” which brought the crowds to the floor but wasn't the big finish that was required for this type of band.
The stand out plus of this band was the fantastic guitarist, who looked calm and collected throughout and delivered some great solos in some of the songs. The twin vocals worked really well and added a different yet astonishingly good concept to the band. The five piece sax outfit gave the band a solid sound and the drum and bass were ever present to hold the band together. It was hard to distinguish the keyboards at times, but I'm guessing this was down to the amount of sound that the band was creating. Phoenix have a good chance of going through but the judges may compare them with the competitions other big band “Lukes Whisk”, who in my view were slightly better and could get the vote ahead of Phoenix, if the judges decide to put through one or the other. (STOP PRESS – They're through before I've finished this review, so ignore these final comments……….lol)
DECEDANCE:The second band on stage was the five piece indie rock band Decedance, with their Liam Gallagher-esque front man. This guy had attitude and was the perfect front man for a band of this style, as he gave them presence and drive from the front. At times he was a little over the top with his attitude and style, but I'm sure he'll settle with time and experience. The band did have issues with the sound throughout their set (guitars too low and bass drum too high) but this was mainly out of their control and I tried to put this aside while reviewing them.
The band opened their set with a short intro “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, which saw the front man swagger on to the stage half way through. The bands first full song of the evening was the Blur cover “Song 2” which had its usual effect of bringing the crowds to the dance floor. It was obvious straight away that the front man had the vocals to go with his rock star image. Decedance followed this with a cover by The Strokes “Last Night” which was hard to enjoy as much as usual, due to the issues with the bass drum and guitars.
The middle of the set got underway with a cover of the Oasis tune from 2002 “Hindu Times”. This song was performed well but not brilliantly, with the exception of the young drummer, who produced some fantastic work on his kit. The band followed this song with a Red Hot Chilli Peppers number “By The Way” which contained some groovy bass work and had the front man somewhat unsuccessfully try and get the crowds to sing along. These two covers were followed by the bands best cover of the night and a particular favourite of mine “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by the infectious band Jet. For this song the vocalist pranced about the stage with his tambourine while underlining the superiority in his vocal. Decedance then carved their own style on the Coldplay anthem “Yellow”. This for me was the most disappointing song of the bands set and was disjointed throughout, as well as having a few bum notes slung in there by the vocalist. The band then changed style and leapt into a version of the Sex Pistols classic “Pretty Vacant” which immediately got the crowds going, as the singer jumped in with the fans to sing. The band kept the momentum going by performing a crowd favourite “ Gay Bar ” by the delightfully strange Electric Six. The band seemed to enjoy singing this one and it certainly got the crowds going crazy.
The penultimate song of the set was the bands one and only original of the night “You Got The Funk”. The lyrics to this song weren't anything special but the music was well thought out and showed signs that the band have the ability to create their own songs. Decedance brought their set and the first round to a close with a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song “Purple Haze”. This song wasn't as tight as it could have been and the guitar being low in the set-up made it hard to judge. Parts of the guitar work seemed good, but it was bitty at times.
The sound issues certainly didn't help this band but hey, this kind of thing happens to the best of them and it was just one of those things. Putting that issue aside I thought the band was enthusiastic and the front man certainly gave them the driving force that most rock/indie bands have. It would be great to hear some more originals from this band, if they progress to the next round. The young and extremely talented drummer was impressive throughout and the band showed plenty of signs that they have a long and successful future ahead of them. I'm not sure how the judges will view this band but I know they're better than this and given the chance I'm sure they will improve on tonight's efforts. I would put them through, but I'm not one of the judges! (STOP PRESS – Yet again I've just found out that this band have been successful in getting through, so I won't continue to jibber on……lol)
This just leaves me to congratulate every single band on their first round performances and to wish all the bands the best in the future, even if they don't progress. This year has seen a high standard throughout, which will result in some great bands making an early exit. This should not be taken as a knock back but looked upon as an experience and a step on the ladder of developing as a successful outfit.
This is the last lengthy review, as all bands will now receive a much shorter review for the remaining rounds (except the final of course). See the post on the message board re: reviews for the next round.
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Other reviews:
Suzi Wrote:
The Phoenix: Okay, a stage full of musicians, smartly dressed and professional looking, let's give it a listen.
They began with 'Knucklehead', which all in all was a nice ice-breaker song, but didn't quite grab the audience. Track 2, an instrumental, showed off some considerable skills, using momentary solo breaks to demonstrate strengths. This received some polite clapping, but I think the audience were still warming up to you. The saxophones clearly impressed though.
Next came 'Gimme Some Lovin' which attracted some wolf whistles for the vocalists, as they showed great attitude and enthusiasm through body language and vocals. This track had a nice, constant bass riff but the guitar solo shook the stage! It was crystal clear, sharp and emotive, excellent. I also noticed that instead of having the two vocalists playing lead and back-up, they both took the lead and the saxophones playing
back-up. This was pretty effective and gave an old classic a new varnish. It also let you gain some dancers on the floor, kinda skankin, but a bit unsure. Still, they were warming to you nicely.
'Ain't No Sunshine' was track 4, with a solo vocal. This was smooth, mellow and soft, complemented by the subtle saxes and quiet guitar. Very 'Dock o' the Bay' mood to this, very good.
The other vocalist took a solo next, with 'Rescue Me', a classic soul tune and was excellently sung, very strong. It carried a nice, confident bass rhythm that got the dancefloor moving and the ending was tight. Well rehearsed.
Track 6 was another instrumental, 'Water Melon Man'. This was tight and well-rehearsed too, showed a great effort and practice from the band. The musicians were able to show off individual skills here. A good break. But mind the key on the keys, seemed a bit odd to my ears.
'The Letter', came next, introduced by some strong intro bars that continued through the song, made it catchy.
The whole group seemed to show an enthusiasm for the music and the saxes showed great energy at times, but when the guitarist and bassist are stronger, move to the front a bit more, don't hide in a corner, show off your skills! Especially if guitarist Adam really is 'the chosen one'!
Track 8, 'N.S.U' came up and showed some cool dynamics. They were very strong throughout this song and the skankin dancers loved it. Great enthusiasm from the vocalists here, which followed a very good drum solo from James Cornish. There was a very bluesy sound to this song, almost 'road
song' like. Different and it was well done.
The final song of the set was 'We gotta get outta this place'. This had a smooth sound but I felt the previous song would have been a better one to end on.
Summary: You show some great musical ability and your enthusiasm is nice, but I think you all need to learn to relax a bit more on stage, the formation of the band is balanced, but too strict. Learn to let go a bit and move towards the audience and each other more. And please let Adam get to
the spotlight for those guitar solos, he's superb. A great set, although a bit confuse at times and a great band. I do feel however, that you might not have been everyone's cuppa t, but it was a nice change. Well played all.
Decadence: These guys had backlash before they even took to the stage, so it was clear they had a point to prove. So... Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' introduced them. Their fanbase were ready and eager at the front of the stage and enjoyed this opening track despite sound difficulties on the drums. (This was cleared up as much as possible, but the snare still sounded rather off, Dale informed me that it might have been a mic or lead gone wrong or the snare's spring had changed since sound check during set up.) Oh well, these things will happen, and I was glad to see it
didn't deter the band.
From the word go, Gary, the lead singer was like a Duracell bunny! Jumping all over the place, radiating energy and even getting amongst the crowd!
Great, but would it be a good thing or too much for some? I liked it, mostly, I thought it showed a passion for the performance and the music.
The crowd got going too, the loyal fans and some new ones took to the dancefloor. Track 2, a modern classic, 'Song 2' by Blur. A crowd pleaser that was complemented by the band's onstage energy, not to mention strong vocals from a pogoing front-man! Good start so far..
'Last Night' by The Strokes came next, showing off some strong vocals and tight drumming from 14 year old Calvin. I thought Gary might be getting a
bit tired by now, but noooo... T-Rex's '20th Century Boy' demonstrated a change in vocal style, confident guiat and bass work that played the song's dynamics well. The crowd was growing...
Then came Oasis' 'Hindu Times'. I'm not their biggest fan, but I thought the song was well played with good energy, but I can't really compare it to the original, although I have to say, it didn't make me go out and buy an album.
RCHP'S 'By the way' came next. We've heard this a couple of times in the comp so far and I don't think you did the strongest version, but it was good. I think more movement from the other band members, not just the vocalist may have improved the mood to this, but I liked teh audience participation aspects.
Track 8, Coldplay's 'Yellow', in their words, in a "Decadence remix". Well this was less depressive in mood than the original for me but I thought the vocals went off a bit. Don't strain your range too quickly Gary, build up to it over time. Try to concentrate on holding the notes for longer, not just
on crowd energy. It did have a smooth finish though.
An ambitious and risky choice came up for Track 9. Sex Pistols' 'Pretty vacant'. You tried and you delivered good vocals from lead and backers, strong guitar and nice dynamics, but to be honest, this song felt a little out of place considering the other covers you did.
'Gay Bar' by Electric Six. You had obviously put in a lot of effort
rehearsing this. The solo riff was nicely built up and again the lead singer was clearly lovin it. I thought it was one of the stronger songs of the set.
Next came the only original of the set, 'You Got the Funk'. The guitar intro was strong and moody. But I felt the fast vocals weren't the best way to go with this song. The bass solo was a nice break, complimented by the guitar, I felt the drumming could have shown a bit more dynamic, as most funk songs
do. Nice original though.
You chose to end the set with 'Purple Haze' by Jimi Hendrix. This is probably one of the most difficult songs to pull off perfectly, when live. You did try though. I thought you needed a bit more precision. Was the guitar in the correct fret during that solo mid-way? My ears weren't sure on that one, but I think, with a bit more rehearsal on this, it could be a strong song to end on, but keep at it for a while, plus learn to use teh guitar feedback to your advantage, slide with it, distort the held note a
bit more etc.
Summary: I thought Decadence showed some good live potential. The lead singer clearly enjoys being on stage and 'in' the crowd, but be careful that it's not detrimental to your ability. Don't try to go beyond your range whilst also jumping into the crowd, for example. I think this band will keep getting stronger the more rehearsal they do and the more live experience they gain. I expect to see them around the live circuit more and more...
Well, that's it for me folks, I'm signing off on being a reviewer now, but I'll still be the sound girl, running around with my notebook, so I'll see you on Monday!!
Love Suzi xx
Janistalis wrote:
Phoenix Jazz looked a remarkable set up with 5 saxophones, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and two female singers! They'd be in for a bit of a squeeze in the average pub!
They began with “If You Leave Me” and the first question that sprung to mind was “Why do we have two singers singing the same notes in the same key?!” Both of these young girls were excellent vocalists, but Phoenix could have done so much more with the luxury of having two voices – harmonies etc. It was like two guitarists playing same notes, same sound. When singing together, their voices were almost indistinguishable from each other.
However, the sound was good – of the vocalists and all the other instruments – and “If you Leave Me” was a good one to start on.
A very professional introduction of band members was done during the next number – an instrumental.
Several covers followed – “Gimme Some Lovin'” had a great steady bass line and outstanding guitar and sax solos, “Ain't No Sunshine” proved the vocalists ability, although she was occasionally drowned out by the band, “Rescue Me” gave the other vocalist her chance and I have to say that they both chose songs that suited their vocal styles. “Rescue Me” was a bit of a turning point, being much more upbeat and getting some of the crowd interested.
A further instrumental gave us further opportunity to watch the stage school style tambourine clapping/ cheesy grin by the two lead singers. That probably sounded harsh, but although we would all much prefer to see smiles, they did look a little strained in places – as I'm sure mine would if I had to repeat the same step over and over again for a whole song. This band are great performers, but seemed much “directed” – it would have been nice to see the girls chill out a bit and be as natural as they were when singing. The instrumental itself did demonstrate the quality of these guys with some excellent solos within.
“The Letter” didn't seem to hit very hard, it was quite dull. Next was “Chameleon”, which was OK, but nothing special. Phoenix lagged a little here, following another (unnecessary and far less professional) introduction to the band members and a continued mix up with the set list before they were told they were short on time, discarded a couple of numbers and launched into “NSU”. In this a drum solo demonstrated the drummers' skills and this was a good number, but not good enough for the final song. Luckily they had time to do “Gotta Get Out of this Place” which was SO much better – lively, enjoyed by the audience and the band members alike!
I do like Phoenix – they are good at what they do, very talented and could quite easily get the right crowd going, but I had the feeling they were orchestrated as if in a school band. If they could relax and let their own personalities shine through, they'd win a few more fans and enjoy themselves a lot more. I do think that they are different enough to go through – makes a change from rock n roll!
Decadence were a young outfit with a prominent lead vocalist. A short instrumental at the beginning saw him jumping into the crowd with his tambourine. There is no doubt that this guy had an ego and people will love or hate him, but give me a lively, arrogant front man any day!
The band went straight into Blurs “Song 2” which is always a good one to get the crowd going. At this point it became apparent that the sound could have been better. The bass drum sound was a bit toppy and the band didn't sound too full considering they were a 5 piece. I think a little more volume would have helped, particularly on the lead guitar. The power and strength of the lead vocalist did nothing to even this out. Regardless of this point, the number was done quite well (except for a vocal blip in the middle) and the guitarists and bassist rocked.
Several covers followed, some quite predictable for an Indie band and others quite unexpected.
Last Nite, 20th Century Boy and Hindu Times were all quite well done, the talents of the young drummer becoming increasingly apparent as we went through. It did seem in places as if the lead singer wasn't quite “with” the band, but the band itself seemed quite together.
The already large crowd swelled as RHCP's “By The Way” was done. This is a tricky one and they did it really well. The Jet song really suited them, but then came their high point – Coldplays “Yellow”, Sex Pistols “Pretty Vacant” and Electric Six “ Gay Bar ”.
The rocked up version of “Yellow” was definitely the way to go – musically it was really fun, however the vocalists' voice was tested by the range of this number and sounded off key on occasions. “ Gay Bar ” is always gonna get them going and it did and “Pretty Vacant” was good. Very good. It recreated the anarchy of the 70's punk scene and was fun!
Decadence only had one original – it was Ok – had a nice bass solo in it and some good drumming, but the lyrics were a bit unsuitable for the image of these guys, I felt, and on this one the vocalist didn't sing with 100% confidence. The tune was funky and catchy, but still not quite “Decadence” if you see what I mean. Decadence are going to need to work on some more originals to compete any further in this competition.
The final number was Hendrix's “Purple Haze” –you just can't compare guitarists, but the overall sound and atmosphere that was created by this song was really good. I do think it's a little long for the last number – “ Gay Bar ” or “Pretty Vacant” may have been better choices since the crowd were really mental then.
Decadence are privileged enough to have an outstanding drummer, 3 very competent guitarists and a lead singer with charisma and a powerful voice. I think they were probably lucky enough to get through to the next round, but they had better knock up some originals and practice like hell, concentrating on getting the singer ‘into' the band – after all they are “Decadence” not “Mr Lead Singer and the Decadence band”
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