Ever been to a music gig? Want to go again? Want to know who is worth seeing?
Music gigs and festivals is a blog dedicated to telling you where and when the coolest bands are playing in NY and the UK. In addition to this I will also be sharing reviews about gigs and festivals I have attended which are definitely worth checking out.
When I used to live about 30minutes from NYC I regularly blogged about bands and artists who were playing in the city (my fav venue being at the Mercury Lounge). It has come to my attention however, most of my recent posts and recommendations have been on bands playing in the UK. So, in an attempt to rectify this, I have posted about a band who are currently touring around the US, and who I also happen to absolutely love!
I introduce to you the X Ambassadors.
X Ambassadors is an American rock band from New York. Made up of Sam Harris, Casey Harris, Noah Feldshuh and Adam Levin, X Ambassador first hit the music scene in 2009 when they toured with a number of bands including LIGHTS.
You may find you have already heard a number of singles by X Ambassadors, since their work has featured in many popular american seasons such as Orange Is The New Black, Supernatural and One Tree Hill.
To date, X Ambassadors have released a number of EPs; self titled 'Ambassadors,' 'Love Songs Drug Songs' and 'The Reason.' The Reason is my personal favourite due to the tracks Free & Lonely, and Unsteady.In terms of albums, in 2012 they released their debut album 'Litost' and are due to release a second one (name yet to be disclosed) later this year.
I have yet to see this band live, but will most certainly be keeping an eye on their upcoming tour dates. If you are still on the fence, I should probably mention their touring alongside with the brilliant Milky Chance
Upcoming tour dates:
22nd July - NYC. Summertage - Central Park.
A popular alternative rock band from the UK, Bombay Bicycle Club are someone you should definitely check out.
Since winning Channel 4's "Road to V" competition in 2006, Bombay Bicycle Club has continue to fins success and achieve great things. To date, this band has released three albums; "I had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose" (2009), "Flaws" (2010) and "A Different Kind Of Fix" (2011).
Last year I was fortunate enough to see Bombay Bicycle Club live in New York. For a ticket priced at $10, this gig was an absolute bargain, and I loved how small the venue was. Bombay Bicycle Club was playing at the Mercury Lounge, which is just two long rooms; one filled with a narrow long bar which leads into an equally small room with a stage in it. I have never been to such an intimate gig before, but it was great as I was literally only an arm’s length away from all the action. It’s not often that there is no hustling through a crowd to ensure you have a spot where you can see the band.
I was surprised with the crowd – despite being aware you had to be over 21 to enter, it wasn’t a young crowd at all. I also found that apart from the immediate crowd of people by the stage, people were very subdued and vacant. This did not seem to affect Bombay Bicycle Club however, as when on the stage they transformed from these nerdy looking boys into becoming indie musicians that seriously rocked out on their guitars.
I was unsure before the gig to how Jack Steadman’s (the lead singer) voice would be during a live show, something I certainly didn’t need to be. His riveting, deep and wavering voice translated into his songs just as well as they do on their albums. His voice simply allowed more emotion to be transferred into each of the songs, which made them seem even more powerful when listening to them. Due to the waver in his voice however, there were times when the bass and the drums drowned his voice out, but this only happened on a few occasions. Something that was more noticeable however was the use of base guitars and drums, which surprised me as they seemed more of an indie-rock band than their more recent label as an acoustic folk band.
One thing however I did find was how awkward this band seemed. Between songs only Steadman ever spoke, and he either thanked the crowd for coming out, or simply said nothing and went straight into the next song. Despite being one of the quickest concerts I have ever been to, the energy given by the band was high throughout and the quality of the performance was such that you were left wishing to hear more.
Songs they sang included, Cancel on Me, Magnet, Lamplight and my absolute favorite Always Like This.
I would give this gig a rating of 7.5/10. I had a great time and they delivered a great performance, although comparing it to a band, such as Mumford & Sons, it was not quite there! I will add though, I was impressed that all the members happily hung around the bar at the end of the show and talked to fans for a little bit, something many bands don’t often do.
Tour Dates:
30th July. Webster Hall - NYC
12th August. Hyde Park Closing Ceremony - London, UK
24th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK
25th August. Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK
