GiggingNI.com
Field Music
With Cutaways; Elspeth;
It had never occurred to me before what a great wee bar the Pavilion was for showcasing local talent. The red leather seats behind the dark oak tables with a layer of beer created a cosy, homely atmosphere to sit back in and enjoy Field Music performing some tracks from their new twenty track album.
Elspeth were the first band of the night, an awkward looking five-piece whose sound seemed to echo that of the Pixies, almost like 90's grunge revamped. Their set list seemed quite disjointed, and despite the fact you could see the potential was there for a great band, it seemed like something was missing. It was probably their lack of stage presence, although it didn't affect the quality of their songs if you were to listen hard enough. I could imagine myself lying in bed with comfort food and wine, and Elspeth part of a 'break-up' playlist. So, for them to be playing on a Saturday night alongside a more upbeat band such as Field Music seemed a bit strange - I was expecting something a little more optimistic. Nevertheless, the fourth song on the six-song set list 'So Happy' was a catchy one, and the band benefited from the Pavilion's good sound.
The second band, Cutaways, on where completely different, enriched with synth sounds in an electro indie triplet. I began to wonder if I was still at the same gig. The place was getting more crowded, with more punters standing and getting into it - I could see they were getting the crowd (and the heads) bopping. The female synth player made a nice change and gave a bit more of an edge from the mundane male singer in the first band, despite the unusual stage arrangement (there was no front person, instead an empty space). Their original harmonies were flowing and catchy, reflective of modern indie pop. I could imagine them blurring out a stereo in the summer, and I found myself subconsciously bopping my head in enjoyment. Their last song sounded like space invader fused pop, putting a defining stamp of a great catchy band, and more of a logical choice for a Saturday night. Very, very memorable, and a great choice to make way for the headliners, Field Music.
This 4 piece were very brit-pop-esque, or, to fit as many descriptive words as possible to describe their sound - disjointed groovy vintage brit pop, which makes you feel good. Whether or not such a thing exists, it sounded original. They had great banter which really got the crowd going, and by this stage the place was absolutely packed. Their sound was hard to categorise, at one point sounding as if they were spitting out 70's riffs out of the speakers (sounding like Hendrix as well as Blur now - versatile, or, Blendrix). Field Music had a definite groove, but in the breakdown of some of their songs, it was difficult to decide what decade they were in, and it made me question whether I could hear them on drive-time radio, or which market they were aiming themselves at. They are a fantastic band with a great sound, and very talented and tight musicians, but is their inconsistency at a particular genre their downfall? Towards the end of their set I could see some of the crowd losing interest, and likewise with myself. However, despite the fact of maybe having too long a set list, they were a great band, and a good start to a night out.
