Cherry Blossom presents Up The ‘Port, which was an event to showcase local Newport talent and boy there was a lot of talent in the room tonight at The Corn Exchange. The environment felt quite community based, which already provided a level of warm reception from the get-go.
The night kicked off with Joe Kelly & The Royal Pharmacy (8). The melodies reminded me of sitting on a porch in a rocking chair on a summer’s morning with a harmonica. Throughout the set there were exchanges between the members showcasing their passion for playing on the stage. The atmosphere overall felt quite chilled, rustic and gave a feeling of nostalgia. Very captivating.
Up next were the Burning Ferns (7) who specialise in their self-described “…guitar pop with a healthy side order of Welsh psychedelia.” The choruses were so catchy that people in the audience who haven’t heard their songs before were able to sing along. It was a delightful surprise when the good old kazoo made an appearance on stage with them!
PARCS (7) provided a change of style with their funky, lo-fi dreamy tunes. The atmosphere turned into a more relaxed, meditative vibe where you could relax and let the music flow through you. I hadn’t seen PARCS before and they were an unexpected and pleasant surprise for me on the night.
Eurekas (7) highlighted their Indie rock style that reminded me a bit of The Clash, singing about roots in society which paints a picture and tells a story. They certainly made us look and made us stare while Falling From Your Grace. Who knew singing about the bankruptcy of our political class could be so catchy.
Next up were Failstate (8) who owned that stage with both Tom and Dave showcasing their vocal abilities, a complimentary yet contrasting dynamic that provides an extra layer of elevation to their set. They also graced us with “A new song that doesn’t have a name.” Their exhilarating and zealous set got the crowd moving.
Finding Aurora (7) are a local garage rock group and Newport’s “Best Kept Secret” with their raw rock and dangerously addictive drumbeats. Owning the crowd once again, I can definitely see the Foo Fighters influencing the band.
As the penultimate act, Only Fools And Corpses (9) were a standout for me on the night, again, it wasn’t a band I was familiar with before going to the event. I felt like I was being shouted at (in a good way), they were very animated and energetic throughout their performance. They certainly, grabbed my attention.
The finale of the night was the Murder Club (7). The 4-member riot grrl girl group specialised in indie, pop rock. Their lyrics and stage presence made me feel like I was at a sleep over with my best friends or getting ready for a night out. It was a sugar filled, comforting environment and a fantastic way to end the night.
I’ll leave you with a quote that I feel summed up the night from Miss Penny Lane in Almost Famous: “Never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt, you never get hurt, you always have fun; if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends”
The night kicked off with Joe Kelly & The Royal Pharmacy (8). The melodies reminded me of sitting on a porch in a rocking chair on a summer’s morning with a harmonica. Throughout the set there were exchanges between the members showcasing their passion for playing on the stage. The atmosphere overall felt quite chilled, rustic and gave a feeling of nostalgia. Very captivating.
Up next were the Burning Ferns (7) who specialise in their self-described “…guitar pop with a healthy side order of Welsh psychedelia.” The choruses were so catchy that people in the audience who haven’t heard their songs before were able to sing along. It was a delightful surprise when the good old kazoo made an appearance on stage with them!
PARCS (7) provided a change of style with their funky, lo-fi dreamy tunes. The atmosphere turned into a more relaxed, meditative vibe where you could relax and let the music flow through you. I hadn’t seen PARCS before and they were an unexpected and pleasant surprise for me on the night.
Eurekas (7) highlighted their Indie rock style that reminded me a bit of The Clash, singing about roots in society which paints a picture and tells a story. They certainly made us look and made us stare while Falling From Your Grace. Who knew singing about the bankruptcy of our political class could be so catchy.
Next up were Failstate (8) who owned that stage with both Tom and Dave showcasing their vocal abilities, a complimentary yet contrasting dynamic that provides an extra layer of elevation to their set. They also graced us with “A new song that doesn’t have a name.” Their exhilarating and zealous set got the crowd moving.
Finding Aurora (7) are a local garage rock group and Newport’s “Best Kept Secret” with their raw rock and dangerously addictive drumbeats. Owning the crowd once again, I can definitely see the Foo Fighters influencing the band.
As the penultimate act, Only Fools And Corpses (9) were a standout for me on the night, again, it wasn’t a band I was familiar with before going to the event. I felt like I was being shouted at (in a good way), they were very animated and energetic throughout their performance. They certainly, grabbed my attention.
The finale of the night was the Murder Club (7). The 4-member riot grrl girl group specialised in indie, pop rock. Their lyrics and stage presence made me feel like I was at a sleep over with my best friends or getting ready for a night out. It was a sugar filled, comforting environment and a fantastic way to end the night.
I’ll leave you with a quote that I feel summed up the night from Miss Penny Lane in Almost Famous: “Never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt, you never get hurt, you always have fun; if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends”
Up The ‘Port was just that, the record store for the community on the night. Bringing local Newport talent together and our community under, what could be, the largest disco ball in Newport!
What a fabulous review! It makes me want to listen to all of the bands and I’m off to check out their next gigs. Thanks SJ.
ReplyDeleteNice one. Lots of stand outs on the day.
ReplyDeleteGreat review Sj! I fancy giving it a go ;) Sounds fab.
ReplyDelete