Bear Cave, Bournemouth
This evening we are at the award winning grassroots music venue the Bear Cave in Bournemouth, for a strong three band original music line-up featuring the headlining Keanu Ienco, the Native American instrumentalist that has made Dorset his home and has been thrilling crowds with his impressive guitar skills. Before Keanu gets out his Gibson Les Paul, there’s the small matter of a couple of notable support bands to enjoy.
The first of these are a quartet of seasoned musicians that are playing their debut gig together tonight under a rather dubious title I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better. Their name may be a bit tongue-in-cheek but initially it doesn’t give any confidence, however I am informed that they all have music degrees so they should know their way around their instruments. The band features drummer Nick Scott (who also is the venue’s resident sound tech), with Jamie Longcake guitar/vocals, Jo Pocock on bass/vocals along Josh Whitham on 2nd guitar. As Nick’s behind the kick sound, tech Dan Potepa competently takes his place behind the desk.
The band open strongly with a tune called “Doubt” that shows Punk and Metal leanings, along with lots of positive energy. As the band continues this basement starts to fill up with curious people wanting to know about this new band in town. With each number they play the band show off their creativity with a variety of styles, with no one song following one particular pattern. One of the early highlights is a political ramble called “It’s All About The Money”, the two guitars along with Jo’s 5-string bass and Nick’s very capable drumming sound uniquely fresh. A cover of System of a Down’s “Arials” gets the crowd in a singing mood before another great original “Birds Of a Feather” – a song complete with bird noises that shows completely different vocal styles with some dark moody instrumentation. These guys are a really likable bunch and the audience totally warmed to all they had to offer.
Next up we are fortunate to have Aussie singing sensation Eli, a guy who we seem to have adopted as one of our own. He has been performing around the area for little over a year and after hooking up with local musician Jack Grace he has been impressing audiences from Chaplin’s, Poole Lighthouse, Purbeck Valley Folk Festival and beyond. Tonight after a few tweaks to his portable set-up of various effect/loop pedals, a drum pad and a small sized acoustic guitar, he starts his set. There is no doubt about it, when Eli sings audiences listen – there is something so appealing about his delivery, which is full of passion and emotion.
With self created songs like “Liar”, “Delusional” and “Imagination” the personal lyrics are powerful and relatable. They are backed with a unique instrumentation and a voice that I can only describe as somewhere between Prince and Thom Yorke. His vocal range is so diverse and each song seems to have its own original tone. Tonight’s gig is a mere warm-up for a launch gig in London town for Eli’s new single “15 and Alive”; a track written about being an confused adolescent teenager living in Australia, falling for one of his male teachers but being too frightened to come out due to the prejudices.
His honesty is admirable, pouring your heart out in front of an audience can’t be easy, particularly about a subject as intimate as this. Eli is one of the best solo singer/songwriters bar none I have seen perform in our area for a very long time, he is engaging and once you hear his voice you will never forget it. Tonight’s crowd were stunned into silence and gave Eli the respect he totally deserved.
After being really spoiled with tonight’s support acts, it’s time for Keanu Ienco and his band to take to the stage. The band comprises Louis Winter on electric guitar, Saul Hughes on Keys, Jacob Corbin on bass and Josh Thorn on drums. I have seen them all perform before at a gig last year at the Lighthouse, with a promise of new material and in these intimate surroundings it’s certainly a good proposition on this bitterly cold Winter’s evening in January.
With a futuristic sounding intro where the keys and guitar combine, the quartet settle into their surroundings and undertake their mission. Instrumental acts in mainstream music seem to be few and far between. I’ve seen American band “Polyphia” and Canadian guitarist Nick Johnston, with both giving great accounts of themselves live. The emphasis on the instruments melodies, rhythms and the structures become the audience’s focus.
Keanu is firstly an accomplished musician, helped through engaging with many top professional musicians including guitar legend Steve Vai. He is also a storyteller and creates atmospheric soundscapes drawing from his authentic lived experiences as a Native American. Having played since he was 8 years, he has a natural effortless style and watching him play is an indulgence. He has surrounded himself with some top notch musicians who really complement him. The music contains many influences from Jazz, Rock, Progressive and beyond, making quite a diversifying listen.
Tonight we are treated to a sublime new song called “Aspire”, which shows Keanu and Louis working beautifully together with some great ambient guitar tones that cruise seamlessly through the song, with the spatial sound of the keys coupled with perfectly backed rhythms.
We are also treated to the recent single “Playful Love” and an truly authentic Native American-inspired “Ahwohtiga Inya’a” (translated as Red Sun). It is a joy to watch these guys at work and the crowd really showed their appreciation at the end and were gifted with an encore. There was a rare cover of “Impressions” by the legend that is John Coltrane and the band give the track the respect and care that it deserves, ending this fantastic evening on a real high.
Set Lists
Keanu Ienco
Intro
I Still Shine
Riverside Cake
Aspire
Our Meagre Restitution
Ahwohtiga Inya’a (Red Sun)
Playful Love
Serenade for Emma
Wovoka’s Dance
Celestial Desire
Encore
Impressions (John Coltrane)
Eli
Liar
Delusional
Like a Friend
15 and Alive
Throw Me a Line
Imagination
Dummy
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better
Doubt
Bev
It’s All About The Money
123 Floor
Floradix
Aerials (System of a Down)
Birds Of a Feather
Lucy Was
Videos:
Links
https://www.keanuienco.com
https://www.facebook.com/elisingsloud
https://www.jameslongcake.com
Article & Media by David Chinery (Chinners)
