The second Travellers Tunes saw some stiff competition from Field Day, Camden Rocks, Depeche Mode and Elton John but, I think we got away with it.
We had four great acts, raised money for Reverse Rett and caused some pretty spectacular hangovers! Let’s check out the live reviews:
The Bracknall
As the Essex outfit, The Bracknall, take the stage, one thing is more than evident. They look the real deal. They look like a rock n roll band destined to break hearts and leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
So, what about the substance then? In short, bags of it. At times, the spirit of Zeppelin comes roaring to the surface. On ‘The End’, there is a huge hit in the making as the spine-chilling verses combine with the dark euphoria of the chorus.
If they hadn’t proven their rock n roll credentials with this set, they jetted straight off to the Camden Rocks festival in their other great band Electric Child House.
Ruby Delby
“With a little charm and a lot of style”
The Bluetones, 1996
Sandwiched between our guitar behemoths was the sparkling Ruby Delby. Her blend of blues and folk as the sun beamed through the windows was just what the doctor ordered. Her unique ability to lead you somewhere and then twist her vocals to open up unexplored areas of folk music is a sight to behold.
Her interaction with the crowd on ‘guess the song’ and her cover of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ endears her to the audience, but, moreover, it was a display of someone who can have any crowd eating out of the palm of her hand.
!
The White Tips
This was the Aylesbury trio’s debut London gig and they did not disappoint. Their love of Nirvana and Pixies was worn as a badge of honour, especially on set highlight ‘Camping Trip’.
There are many bands with decent riffs right now, The White Tips will circumnavigate navigate this because, their riffs are crisp and concise like their aforementioned heroes. Even when they are thrashing it out, the pop sensibilities lurk beautifully in the corner.
Queensburys
Hailing from Grays, Essex, the young four piece stole the show. So often with new bands, audiences find themselves trying to depict the genres and influences they can hear. For Queensburys, what is abundantly clear, they’ve found their own groove and it’s a joyous one.
Do not be fooled by the diminutive figure of frontman Thomas Champion, he is a rock music colossus in the making. There’s a hint of the recently departed Chris Cornell as he growls and howls those key moments. Champion also possesses an innocence and purity in his vocals which, gives their storytelling a guts and glory vibe.
It would be remiss to solely mention Champion though. Dan Lamb (bass) George Brown (drums) and Archie Brown (lead guitar) are not just tight, their showing an expansive side to their playing as well.
Having had time to reflect on the horrific attacks from Saturday night, Queensburys have left me with nothing but optimism. Four mates grafting to create something better for themselves and for others to enjoy is peptic symbol of individuality and belonging, aka the human condition.
Keep your eyes peels for the Queensburys, they are set our glorious Albion.