Violet Class at South Street
Liz Crosthwaite • Published 12 Apr 2012 19:30
0 Comments
Opening with a pounding statement of intent from their drummer, clean-cut five-piece Violet Class immediately grabbed the attention of the crowd at South Street Arts Centre last Thursday night.
These relative newcomers seem to still be finding their feet onstage, but while the nerves showed a little during their more swirling, almost psychedelic indie pop openers, one track, Six Penny Step, recalled a down-tuned There She Goes by The La's, which has got to be a good thing.
It was during the groovier, more rock'n'roll-infused numbers - when the band's solid rhythm section really came into their own - that they visibly relaxed; a sign, perhaps, that this is the sound they feel most comfortable with. It's when they bring in dual frontman-guitarist vocals on one track that their songs suddenly make a lot more sense, with the weightier vocals holding their own against the other instruments for a much more balanced sound.
This is a band clearly steeped in 90s indie and 60s/70s rock, with that fuzzy, down-tuned retro sound that bands like The Music (remember them?) brought back in the noughties. It's all pleasantly retro and slightly stoned-sounding; with swirling guitars and the odd nifty little bassline...
Given a bit of time to find their rock star confidence onstage, Violet Class could be a pretty class act.
The band play their next gig at Play, Reading, on Friday, April 20, at 8pm.
Visit www.violetclass.com
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Whats On archives.
