Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Saturday October 11, 2014 :
Arriving at the ticket desk for the night, I was pleased to be handed a card offering me a free drink of Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum, sponsors of tonight’s show, and had it mixed with coke. It was not like any other rum I have had previously, and I enjoyed it along with everyone else in the audience.
DJ Webber had the tunes pumping as I walked into the room building up the atmosphere. I am not always a fan of DJ’s but between each bands set he played some great songs and I felt the atmosphere in the room building and being maintained as each band packed down and the next set up.
Opening band of the night, The Treehouse Children, came out with a strong opening song, with a real urban groove, they all looked like they were having fun on stage. This three piece were very technically talented and the vocals were diverse and charmed the crowd. The guitarist/lead singer was energetic and moved around the stage a lot, I also enjoyed watching the drummer who looked happy and that he was having fun through the whole set. They had a good level of crowd interaction, encouraging them to sing along to the sticky fingers cover they performed. Their sound reminded me of a cross over between John Mayer and Kings of Leon.
Maids also kicked off their set with a strong choice of songs, and really groovy guitar and drums intro. I was surprised to discover the drummer was the lead vocalist throughout the songs and his sound reminded me of Faker. The two guitarists were a great contrast to the drummers vocals adding a real range to the tracks.
They had a high-energy performance, but throughout it I found they were a bit over the top for me and it got a bit cheesy. They just needed to tone it back ever so minimally and it would have been better. Overall they put on a good show but towards the end of their set, the disrespect of the venue’s equipment really frustrated me. Newcastle has limited venues as it is, without idiots coming in and mistreating equipment.
The Owls had crisp vocals and a high-energy performance. It was great to see a Newcastle band sell out their presale tickets and fill this room with support. The vocals reminded me AFI’s Davey, and elements of their sound showed a bit of a Beatles influence over some of their music.
They were great technically, the vocals were diverse, and the deep undertones of the bass ran through the floor and built the electric atmosphere. The songs were unique and fun. When Josh picked up his acoustic guitar it was apparently the first time on the tour that he had done so. It added a really charming sound to the song, and a new element to their set. The added element of Ray on drums added a new level of depth to the song and the Owls drummer looked like he was having a great time. The crowd was responding to each song enthusiastically and the room was full of movement with everyone on their feet dancing.
Reviewer and Photographer: Courtney Laura
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