The Post Apocalypse Party - The Pavillion Congleton
22nd December 2012
Fire Beneath The Sea / Sweet Winn Dixie / The Cigs
Plus a selection of local DJs, after the bands.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. All this apocalypse hoo-ha. If there had been an apocalypse then, there could have been no party and, as there was no apocalypse, there can be no ‘after’.
Oh. You weren’t thinking that? What strange people you are.
Well, that’s put paid to that paragraph. And, that one. And, I can’t use that bit... Right. Now that you have wrecked my review, I shall proceed to the evening of the 22nd December, last.
The Pavillion, situated in Congleton Park, is a cute little building. It is the kind of place that you see in old, sepia photographs, featuring genteel, interestingly-pale ladies in big-assed dresses, twirling their parasols, eating cucumber sandwiches and drinking lemonade, possibly playing a lazy\game of tennis. Of course, out of shot, they are all snarfing down vast quantities of laudanum and smoking reefers. But, I digress.
Plus a selection of local DJs, after the bands.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. All this apocalypse hoo-ha. If there had been an apocalypse then, there could have been no party and, as there was no apocalypse, there can be no ‘after’.
Oh. You weren’t thinking that? What strange people you are.
Well, that’s put paid to that paragraph. And, that one. And, I can’t use that bit... Right. Now that you have wrecked my review, I shall proceed to the evening of the 22nd December, last.
The Pavillion, situated in Congleton Park, is a cute little building. It is the kind of place that you see in old, sepia photographs, featuring genteel, interestingly-pale ladies in big-assed dresses, twirling their parasols, eating cucumber sandwiches and drinking lemonade, possibly playing a lazy\game of tennis. Of course, out of shot, they are all snarfing down vast quantities of laudanum and smoking reefers. But, I digress.
The Cigs
The Cigs
The Pavillion provided an unusual backdrop for a fascinating evening. First up was The Cigs. Someone had said on local radio, the day before, that “The Cigs were the best band ever to come out of Congleton”. How true that proved on the night. Indeed, a faultless set of self-penned masterpieces caused several members of the audience to spontaneously combust in approbative rapture during the performance. So utterly awesome was The Cigs, though, that no one really minded all the mess. For my money, The Cigs is the best band in the land. (Just put the pictures of Adam Smith through my letterbox, Chris. Cheers mate!)
I did enjoy The Cigs. They were fun and did a really good job of getting things going; loosened everyone up. Just what was needed before Sweet Winn DIxie came on.
I did enjoy The Cigs. They were fun and did a really good job of getting things going; loosened everyone up. Just what was needed before Sweet Winn DIxie came on.
Sweet Winn Dixie
Sweet Winn Dixie
Sweet Winn Dixie is an unusual band. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It is just that I can’t really tell you what their music is like, as it just isn’t like anyone else. I’m not even sure I can describe it. Shall we go with: ‘Young-uns music that the ‘rents don’t understand’?
The focal point of the band, Ollie Winnington, whilst having undoubted musical talent is, first and foremost, a performer. His timing is natural and his delivery very engaging. I hadn’t planned on liking SWD but, I found myself being captivated by the quirky oddness of it all. There are all sorts of influences in there, some you’d expect such as rapping and weird sounds, to snatches of country, soul, and jazzy bits. Somehow, they are all glued together and, bizarrely, it all works very nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed Sweet Winn Dixie. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air segment was inspired. Great fun and some damn fine music.
The focal point of the band, Ollie Winnington, whilst having undoubted musical talent is, first and foremost, a performer. His timing is natural and his delivery very engaging. I hadn’t planned on liking SWD but, I found myself being captivated by the quirky oddness of it all. There are all sorts of influences in there, some you’d expect such as rapping and weird sounds, to snatches of country, soul, and jazzy bits. Somehow, they are all glued together and, bizarrely, it all works very nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed Sweet Winn Dixie. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air segment was inspired. Great fun and some damn fine music.
The Fire Beneath The Sea - Glamour
The Fire Beneath The Sea
The Fire Beneath The Sea
So, we come to The Fire Beneath The Sea, a Liverpool band with a big difference. TFBTS is a fifteen-piece (or thereabouts) outfit, featuring guitar, flute, DJ, four rappers, and saxophone. For this show, regular drummer and local reprobate, Chris Morgan, was being joined by his twin brother, Andy, who’d had at least half an hour to learn all of the songs. So, everything is copasetic. Yeah?
I’d really no idea what to expect. The Cigs had set the bar very high and Sweet Winn Dixie had Fosbury flopped all over it. As for TFBTS, I’d heard a couple of their songs and, if I was confused by Sweet Winn Dixie, I was drowning not waving, with this bunch of dodgy-looking scousers!
How can I describe the music of The Fire Beneath The Sea? Imagine that someone was playing Santana, Madness, some Stax, a madrigal, some Jethro Tull, and a little Uriah Heep, all at the same time. Then, along comes [INSERT FAVOURITE RAP ACT HERE] and they kick it about a bit. Then, a couple more rappers and a DJ come along and mash it all up and it comes out as Fire Beneath The Sea. Alles Klar? Ausgezeichnet!
I know. I know. It’s a horrible description. It makes it sound like a dog’s breakfast, which is what I was expecting. Thing is, it isn’t. It’s a quite marvellous melding of sounds, rhythms, images, and words. I can’t tell you how it all works. It just does. If I had to be pinned down, I’d say they are most like Madness but, Madness on acid or, something like that.
The songs are originals, intelligent, and well-crafted. Glamour and Poor Little Fishy, for example, are as good as anything else you’ll hear. Live, you cannot help but move to the beat. The sound is infectious and the performance has to be experienced. You don’t just watch, you take part.
I loved The Fire Beneath The Sea. Truly an unmissable experience. It’s a bit like having a street party indoors...
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
7th January 2013
I’d really no idea what to expect. The Cigs had set the bar very high and Sweet Winn Dixie had Fosbury flopped all over it. As for TFBTS, I’d heard a couple of their songs and, if I was confused by Sweet Winn Dixie, I was drowning not waving, with this bunch of dodgy-looking scousers!
How can I describe the music of The Fire Beneath The Sea? Imagine that someone was playing Santana, Madness, some Stax, a madrigal, some Jethro Tull, and a little Uriah Heep, all at the same time. Then, along comes [INSERT FAVOURITE RAP ACT HERE] and they kick it about a bit. Then, a couple more rappers and a DJ come along and mash it all up and it comes out as Fire Beneath The Sea. Alles Klar? Ausgezeichnet!
I know. I know. It’s a horrible description. It makes it sound like a dog’s breakfast, which is what I was expecting. Thing is, it isn’t. It’s a quite marvellous melding of sounds, rhythms, images, and words. I can’t tell you how it all works. It just does. If I had to be pinned down, I’d say they are most like Madness but, Madness on acid or, something like that.
The songs are originals, intelligent, and well-crafted. Glamour and Poor Little Fishy, for example, are as good as anything else you’ll hear. Live, you cannot help but move to the beat. The sound is infectious and the performance has to be experienced. You don’t just watch, you take part.
I loved The Fire Beneath The Sea. Truly an unmissable experience. It’s a bit like having a street party indoors...
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
7th January 2013