Yesterday I got myself down to Camden’s very own, The Barfly, the place itself was pretty easy to find, just look for a corner building that mildly resembles a zebra. Within minutes of getting there, I was upstairs and at the bar. The room itself was quaint which proved good for generating some loud noise, the only drawback being that once you’re feet touched the floor, they were pretty much glued to your spot, due to the rubber flooring.
Seconds after having my first drink, Waiting For Hollywood took to the stage; a five piece alternative rock band, who brought an incredible amount of energy to the place from the moment they opened their mouths. My highlight of their set was their intense rock version of Disney’s I Just Can’t Wait To Be King; it got the whole audience involved and immersed in the song. What was really lovely however, was to see the band interacting with the fans amongst the crowd after their set; taking many a photograph and generally just mingling with everyone.
Next up were acoustic duo, Nous Boi, their sound reminded me of that of Ed Sheeran’s- quirky, wholesome and beautifully British. They mixed in their covers and originals well and kept their sound solid throughout their set; interchanging from The Kooks’ Naive, to 1975’s Girls and back to their own songs- my favourite of which being the soft tones of Stories.
Then came four piece Geordie band, The Waiters, I was stunned to hear them say it was their first London gig because they played with such a confidence that you would have thought this was their second home. They brought an immensely strong sound to the mix. Their covers were polished and played seamlessly together in a medley formation, this included: Little Mix’s Black Magic, Taylor Swift’s Blank Space and Jason Derulo’s Want To Want Me. Their originals were just as strong, as the band relished getting the crowd involved with the lyrics and even took to getting the other bands back up on stage with them.
They were followed by fellow Newcastle-born pop-rock band, Lost In Paradise. The five piece delivered their original songs with plenty of gusto, making every inch of the room alive with their sound, which varied from heavy rock, to more pop- with the band executing a solid cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s I Really Like You.
The final act was 18 year old solo artist, Michael Sutthakorn, despite his voice not being in the best condition, he pursued with the gig; not wanting to disappoint the crowd. He thoroughly made the best of an unlucky situation, providing the audience with energetic covers such as, Teenage Kicks, Want To Me, Black Magic, etc. Two snapped guitar strings later, and the young singer was forced to cut the gig short and come meet the fans instead. However, he remained apologetic throughout, and thanked the crowd for turning out on a number of occasions. He may be only eighteen years old, but he possesses a professionalism beyond his years.
Overall, the gig was lively and a true celebration of the art of live music, and how it can be discovered in the smallest of places.
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