Wednesday March 30th 2016
Snowblind @ The Dublin Castle, Camden
Versatile young four-piece jet in from Spain to show the UK what they can do, taking up not one but two slots on the bill.
The rosy hue of the warmly lit surroundings gives a cozy and inviting feel to Camden’s independent live music venue, ‘The Dublin Castle’, as soon as you set foot through the door. The renowned haunt has witnessed the start of many a music icon’s career, from Madness and The Libertines, to Muse and the late Amy Winehouse. The walls are plastered with music memorabilia from years gone by, and the phrase ‘if those walls could talk’ comes to mind; I bet they’d have some stories to tell. Look past the revellers enjoying their drinks, and there are a set of double doors leading into the live performance space. With its black walls, stacked speakers, and Jack Daniel’s themed bar, the intimate venue has a very dingy, punk-rock feel. It’s the kind of space that could see you get close enough to smell the artists’ sweat – if you should feel so inclined.
Among those gracing the modest stage tonight are a band embarking on a UK tour after jetting in from their home in Spain’s Costa Blanca, and whose members make up two of the acts on the bill – why have one slot when you can have two?
First up are Black Sheep Puppets. Made up of Josh Watts, Jac Bentley and Stuart Hodge – three of the original members of Snowblind – the guys have been joined by keyboardist Zac Rush, for the start of this new chapter. Watts swaps his drumsticks for a guitar pick and steps up to the mic to be the voice-box for this new project; his raw and husky vocals a perfect fit for the rough-and-ready sound. Their song titles also reflect this punk-rock-esque vibe, including set opener, ‘Fox on the Rocks’, ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Bloodstain’.
A quick rejig of the line-up see’s keyboardist Zac Rush exit the stage and Josh Watts take a seat behind the drum-set once again, with vocalist/guitarist Charlie Ledger taking the helm as front-man. Opening with ‘Red Light District’, the band work their magic with a blistering set of original tracks, including ‘Getaway’, ‘My Sweet Valentine’, ‘Let It Rain’ and ‘Behave’; all the while demonstrating their ability to captivate an audience.
Comprising of great melodies and absolutely addictive hooks, Snowblind’s straight-up rock sound is more melodic than that of Black Sheep Puppets, thus showing the versatility of each of the band members. It’s great to see Snowblind perform their own material – as opposed to the cover heavy sets they play in Spain – as it further proves that these guys are artists in their own right. They’re definitely not ‘just another covers band’, there’s something special here and tonight we got a little taste of that. I reckon we’re only just scratching the surface of what they can do; I’d go and see both bands again in a heartbeat.
For my previous review of Snowblind’s debut album, click here.
For more pictures from the night head over to my Facebook page.
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Sophie Brown. 