Hangover Hill Presents: Live & Unheard at Lighthouse, Poole
Once again we are back at the Lighthouse in Poole for one of my favourite events of the month; Live & Unheard. This month Hangover Hill’s Matt and Mel have handed the reigns over to me to create the-line up. I’ve opted for a three band line-up of all local bands that will not only provide some great entertainment, they all also show some great potential. I’m really chuffed with the capacity tonight and so pleased that these original music events continue to attract decent crowds. If you are one of the audience members and you are reading this, thank you so much for support – myself, Si, Matt, Mel and the acts really appreciate your continued attendance.
The first band of the evening are quirky quartet The Rambling Club; a four-piece Indie band that features Lucas Sandford on lead vocals, with Josh Bull on bass guitar, Jasper Gaunt on drums and the Nicky Wire-esque Nathan Blackstone on electric guitar/backing vocals. The band have recently slimmed down from a five piece and have adjusted their sound accordingly with the use of some impressive effect pedals. They kick off with “Tell Me” and as with their soundcheck the band fill the place with their wholesome sound. Vocalist Lucas provides some excellent clean-sounding vocals which are further enhanced by this wonderfully acoustically enhanced building.
The band as a whole provide some fine instrumentation, this comes across particularly on “Restless Nights”; my favourite track of their set the atmospheric “Halcyon” and smouldering “Dead Leaves”. The band use a combination of influences including Rock, Punk and New Wave to create their sound. The audience really warm to the band with each track they play and by their final number “Take Me Anywhere”, the four lads have thoroughly won them over with a fine set. It great to see a hugely proactive band with such enthusiasm for their music. They have so far they have played plenty of gigs at a host of venues and this experience have helped them grow as a band. Lets hope this momentum continues and we see them performing some more high profile gigs in the future.
After an efficient changeover it’s time to introduce everyone to Chig, an Alternative band from Wimborne who have not really played a huge amount of gigs at this early stage of their journey. However, the few gigs that they have played have turned out to be special occasions. The band feature Jamie Newnham on drums, with the grand sounding Maximilian Winthrop Wallace on bass, the equally grand sounding Caleb Brading-Ingram on guitar, Morgan Blake on guitar and Orla Mount on lead vocals.
After a short burst of intro music the band literally explode onto the stage with their opening number “Kind”, their energy has to be seen to be enjoyed. They are on a mission to thrill and the audience are willing spectators of all they have to offer. Their sound comes from a host of places and the five of them together bring elements of 1990’s American bands like the Pixies and Sonic Youth, with hints Goth Rock, Shoegaze and Grunge in there too. The two guitarists Caleb and Morgan create a huge sound, while complementing each other perfectly with their various unique styles. Max brings in the dramatic New Order/The Cure sounding basslines with drummer Jamie brilliantly providing a great backdrop of rhythmic power.
Orla is a law unto herself, with her flowing locks of long black hair she provides a huge vocal range that powerfully delivers emotional energy. She barely stands still to catch her breath and with no guitar as a prop she wonderfully shows of her unique style of being the focal point of the band. I find myself grinning from ear to ear with each track the band deliver and I can hear gasps from the audience at the quality of this band’s performance. With songs like “Doll”, awe-inspiring “Bleeding” and the incandescent “Arrhythmia” (which is an irregular heartbeat for those non-medically educated) they deliver in all areas. I find myself getting quite emotional and they draw me in, along with much of the audience. One of the most exhilarating sets I have seen on this stage and if you fancy seeing them perform again they will be playing their home town at the Allendale Centre on 11th October as part of Fazza Fest.
The final band of the night are four cheeky chappies known as Chimphouse featuring Harry – guitar/vocals, Alex bass/vocals, Kode – Lead Guitar and Josh – Drums. These guys rocked up at a Battle of the Bands I was hosting last year and unexpectedly won it, sweeping away some fine acts in their path. The thing I love about these lads is the fact they don’t take themselves too seriously and bring a great deal of fun into their performance. They have all been hard at work studying in further education recently and the band is a great diversion and stress reliever for them. They are certainly not as intense as Chig, in fact these guys are very laid back and show no sign of nerves. Kicking off with “Chupacabra”, their 2022 single the band reveal the Punky edge with two guitars and infectious rhythms, coupled with fast-paced vocals.
They have some great lyrical gems that feature some quite bizarre and interesting titles such as “Men’s Menu”; telling of the joys of eating at a Wetherspoons pub, fan favourite “Tesco In a Church”, which is actually about the Tesco in Westbourne along with another about a character from the outskirts of Bournemouth called “The Gimp of Winton”. The tracks are short, punchy and without realising it they get into your head, for example: I was sent home with the song “Seagull” buzzing round my head, a track about the coastal bird stealing take-away food off the tourists. Tonight’s crowd clearly appreciate these guys and all seem to enjoy what they have to offer. This evening they have certainly stepped up and shown themselves to be more than capable of entertaining larger audiences.
Set Lists
Chimphouse
Chupacabra
The Button
Mad Ape
Men’s Menu
Tesco In a Church
Stone Age Slummin’
Greasy Spoon
Bedroom Blues
Bad Entity
7 Aisles
The Gimp of Winton
Seagull
Bird in Fryer
Maglock
Keeley Sized Pool Table
Get Me Out of This Place
Chupacabra
Chig
Kind
Doll
Bleeding
Vicodin
Arrhythmia
Feel
Gone
Joy
The Rambling Club
Tell Me
Dive
Restless Nights
Down to Earth
Dead leaves
Halcyon
That’s Life
Game of Life
Take Me Anywhere
Videos
Links
https://www.facebook.com/chimphouseband
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083111448004
https://www.facebook.com/TheRamblingClub
Next months “Live & Unheard” is on Halloween – Thursday 31st October featuring Tuto Tribe, Electronique and Sleepy Jake. You can purchase your tickets here.
Article by David Chinery
Photography by Lynn Burt – Lynn Frances Photography
