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The Bees...
review
The Bees always remind me of the Sixties and sunny summer days, so seeing them tonight found me returning to my former, smiling self after the recent few days of drizzly, dull November.
Wash in the Rain  made the audience immediately jittery. Beatles harmonies, jangley guitars, maracas, a touch of funk here and there; their music is uncontrollably uplifting. To be able to pull off an instrumental without being heckled can be rare in live performance, but the audience was twisting and shouting to the funky bass lines and retro organ sounds of The Russian as much as in any other song.
Support from The Hat was the ideal warm up. They are a highly refreshing band that make full use of their diverse vocal talent to enhance the vibe of their music. Never before has a live band been comparable to Rik Mayall’s Jackanory, but their melodic storytelling songs (one of which is based on a Roald Dahl book) like The Hat, told in cockney market stall trader voices, squeaky voices and gorgeously sung harmonies makes them one of a kind. Not only are they unusual in their sound and lyrics but in set up too; choice of instruments include a sinister double bass, the previously mentioned fusion of experimental vocals... and their drummer, who also produced a large quantity of the band’s vocals, was positioned at the side of the stage, rather than hidden away at the back as is the norm. They have a great EP, it’s just a shame that there are only four tracks.
Even though The Bees’ drummer "nearly sawed his hand off last week”, the band had successfully found a fill-in with adequate facial hair. It was interesting to see how the band perform the multiple layers of their music on stage; they share a lot of the vocal parts and had countless instrument swaps including megaphone, maracas, trumpet, tambourine, hammond organ, guitar, bass and drums.
The band ended with the perfect encore, announcing that they would “now play the Chicken Song ”, which was followed by These Are the Ghosts . The Octopus material has touches of the surreal psychedelic, European, urban and more funk influences on top of the original Bees sound. The first single from the album, Left Foot Stepdown , is already available for download.
about Concorde 2
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Okay, so you may have to walk a bit to reach it... but that just makes it that little bit more exclusive doesn't it! Located along Madeira Drive, the Concorde 2 is a sizeable venue with a huge variety of clubnights and bands on each month. Some top names, some great festivals, World Music... you name it. If you can't find something to pique your interest then you might as well pack your bags and head for Eastbourne... The next Concorde 2 date for your diary:
Saturday, 2nd August
Popstarz Pride Carnival (Pride in Brighton & Hove)
Click for more info and complete listings for Concorde 2 
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The Village Street Party 2008
