Bands suffer at hands of music fans' tunnel vision

It is a depressing state of affairs when a bar full of self-confessed ‘music-lovers’ sit at the back and chat through one of the North-West’s most entertaining unsigned live acts just because they are not the band they came to see.

That is exactly what occurred last Friday at The Mill when the Seven Seals danced their jolly troops into town. The venue was busier than usual, with queues forming outside by nine o clock, but barely a quarter of the 100+ strong crowd bothered to show their support.

The sound quality was much stronger than previously and the band seemed to revel in just how well the music came across, although the vocals were not clear enough to be appreciated. The Seven Seals’ sound, incidentally, cannot be described with mere words, every member of the band seems to be playing a different style of music, from electronica to metal, and although predominantly heavy, most of their tunes would not be out of place under the Pop Music section in your local record store.

Uncomfortable

The hyperactive lead singer, however, is not so impressed - despite turning out a typical exuberant performance, pogoing, tip-toeing, and prancing throughout the set, he is not as naturally active as usual, possibly uncomfortable at being elevated away from the audience.

The performance ends with two crowd favourites ‘21st Century Blues’ and ‘3Feet High’ which see a group of bona fide mentalists assemble at the front to demonstrate exactly what this music is designed for - dancing like an idiot and enjoying yourself.

Apparently, a good deal of tonight’s’ crowd are ‘too cool’ for the support band and, as the show comes to a thumping crescendo of drums, guitars and synthesizers The Seven Seals look towards the following night and their headline show at Liverpool Academy where the onlookers may be slightly more responsive.

The Shotgun Faeries are not a band who are about to allow a group of ‘out-of-towners’ to out-extravagance them, and after a successful performance at Live In The Park a fortnight ago, they looked pleased to be back under the bright lights of a club venue
once again.

Diverse and experimental

Right from the start the band sounded more diverse and experimental than ever, and seem to have taken much care and time over compiling
their songs for their ever-improving live show.

Similar to their Avenham Park slot, the sound is tight and clear, and the set included a Lomax acoustic number ‘Bleary’ as well as a strong, dark cover of The Beatles’ Come Together which went swimmingly were it not for Lomax declaring Paul McCartney deceased.

The defining moment of the set, which could prove a turn-off to many, was the bands’ incessant habit of showing off how much they drink by providing everyone at the front with a free shot of tequila (nobody mention the age restrictions) in an attempt to execute ‘the biggest downing of tequila ever.’

However, any reservations that the neutral may have had after the alcoholic stunt were torn away with opening riff to Vodka Stomach which, as always sends the crowd into rapture and sounds so good that the Shotgun’s will be eager to tell you ‘No, its not a f**king cover.’

Written by Dan Jeoffroy

Photography: Dan Jeoffroy