Hello my old friends!

It’s been some months since my last post.  Forgive me: I hope that this will be the beginning of a new lease of life for Auriopia!  And what better way to begin than by reviewing the very gig that made me realise quite how much I’d missed writing about new music?!  I owe many thanks to Pocket Satellite for bringing together a fabulous line-up in a brilliant venue, and inspiring me to return to my keyboard.

Before introducing you to the line-up, I’d like to talk a bit about the venue.  If the opportunity arises to see a gig at Surya in Kings Cross – go!  Likewise, if you’re a band looking for a brilliant intimate London venue to gig at, check out Surya.  It’s small, and off the beaten track a little, but the sound man, Tom, is absolutely brilliant at his job, and that really counts for a lot!  So often in small venues, good bands are made to sound awful because of sound guys who are incapable of doing their job properly.  Tom not only left his desk every few minutes to wander around and check levels from different parts of the room, but he also played a brilliant mix of very good (though often slightly obscure) music between acts.  Bravo Tom!

It does of course go without saying that sound men aren’t miracle workers, and a great deal of respect goes to everyone who performed on Surya’s stage on Saturday, for each artist was excellent in their own right.

The night was opened by soloist Sam James Hill, aka Small Cat.  His stage was strewn with and assortment of pedals, vast lengths of cable, electric mandolins, a mic, a mixer and a Mac.  If truth be told, the opening number of the set left me slightly at a loss:  I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Small Cat.  To say that his sound is “alternative” might be an understatement, but as he brought in the effects, segueing seamlessly into the second number, the act began to make sense.  I found myself thinking of The Beta Band, The Smashing Pumpkins and The Cinematic Orchestra.  Small Cat is an accomplished electro-indie musician who really understands the technology he has at his disposal.  A brilliant use of pre-set effects, well-constructed bass lines, interesting melodies and a distinctive vocal performance left me enjoying Small Cat’s performance a little more with each number.  His clever use of a sampler and his mixer to create interesting harmonies with himself was done expertly, and the audience responded well.  Hill’s demeanour on stage also added an element of intrigue.  Hill made very little eye contact with the audience, and left no real room for applause between tracks, choosing rather to let the music play through between songs, and taking a sip from his wine by the edge of the stage.  It was very self-aware, and a little bit “hipster”, but it worked.  The artist wordlessly invited the audience to appreciate the music, intead of standing in the spotlight. Nevertheless, when he pulled the plug (literally) and ended the music abruptly, he received a well-deserved ovation.  His set would make a wonderful EP, great for working to or unwinding to at the end of the day.  I hope to be able to direct you all to some of his music soon…  Meanwhile, keep an eye on his Facebook page, and do look out for upcoming gigs.

Next up, 3-piece ensemble Dan Shears and the Velveteen Orkestra. Guitarist and vocalist Dan Shears wowed the audience with stunning vocals reminiscent of Matt Bellamy and Jeff Buckley, whilst two lovely ladies accompanied on cello and violin.  It is always a privilege to hear a singer with such purity and control of their voice as Dan has; the singer has an outstanding mastery of his breathing, and seamless ability to switch into a beautiful falsetto as clear as crystal.  No less accomplished were the beautiful and glamorous (sadly unnamed) string section who supported the front-man.  From upbeat folk-rock number “One Dry Eye in the House of God” to the beautiful and haunting “Lily”, these girls with their bows and deft finger-work brought the very best out of every song.  The stark simplicity of the music was stirring, and Dan’s patter kept the crowd entertained between songs.  A real contrast from Small Cat’s opening set, but no less brilliant, Dan Shears and the Velveteen Orkestra moved the audience to rapturous applause at the end of every song, and are well worth your support.  Have a listen to their music HERE.

Third on the line-up were The Fancy Dress Party, who, rather to my disappointment, were wearing perfectly ordinary clothes when they took the stage!  Nevertheless, when these 5 multi-instrumentalists took to the stage, I immediately understood why Pocket Satellite’s Maya Zosmer had invited them to play as the top-billed support act!  From the very first note, they upped the tempo with tight percussive beats, and brought a new level of liveliness to the room, in readiness for the headline act.  They filled the little venue with the sound of guitars, drums, glockenspiels, ukuleles, more mandolins and violins, plus tiny little egg-shakers!  Fun and vibrant, this talented band from Essex brought smiles to all our faces, and kept our feet tapping throughout their set.  Check out their music online HERE, then head over to their Facebook page and give them a thumbs up, to find out when and where they’re playing next!

Finally, and by no means least, came the act I’d headed to Surya to see: Pocket Satellite.  I may be biased, because I’ve known members of the band for a very long time, but it should be noted that I don’t give all my friends the same level of support.  Call me whatever names you like, but my loyalty doesn’t run that deep!  I promote Pocket Satellite shamelessly because I truly believe they deserve the adulation!  Another group of very talented multi-instrumentalists, (there was a moment where the brilliant Tom Dixon was playing drums and violin simultaneously), Pocket Satellite came on stage and cheerily decorated it with red helium balloons attached to their keyboards and microphone stands.  Sadly bassist Richard Falk was absent from their number, but the rest of the band covered it well; their harmonies were no less beautiful, their folksy sound no less warm, upbeat and exciting, their friendly banter no less entertaining!  With brilliant lyrics, clever and playful vocal interaction from lead singers (and guitarists/glockenspeilers etc) Maya Zosmer and and Carl Haag, plus fabulous backing vocals and accompaniment from multi-instrumentalists and all round superstars Tom and Ruth Dixon, Pocket Satellite were as on form as I’ve ever seen them.

I urge you all again to listen to their music HERE or HERE, then visit their Facebook page, like them, go see them, and give them all the support you can!

Thanks again to all those who made the event such a memorable evening, and massive credit to Maya for organising such a brilliant gig!