Rebel Soul Collective, Green For Go and Lisa de’Ville played at The Bodega Social on Friday 18 September 2009
Reviewed for LeftLion.co.uk
In celebration of the release of their new EP, the Bodega Social was treated to an evening of spectacular music from Rebel Soul Collective and friends.
First on was Nottingham’s soulful songstress Lisa de’Ville, whose pristine vocals echoed across the room as she slinked through a set of emotionally charged songs, sometimes cutting, sometimes achingly heartfelt. With her acoustic strumming backed by electric embellishments courtesy of an accomplice, the tone was taken from fiery and forceful, through ethereal and darker, haunting territories to shy, vulnerable and delicate. It was a thoughtfully constructed set, with a colourful pallet of passionate emotions.
Next was Green For Go, who’s unique brand of bass-driven alternative rock caught the audience somewhat off guard before enthralling them with heavily punctuated, highly dance-able rhythms and catchy melodies. Clean, layered tunes with crisp vocals descended into dense guitar fuelled melancholia, before picking up into punchy, upbeat indie madness. Their tunes are heavily punctuated, full of layers and melodic vocals, very noisy and a little chaotic, and combined with a cracking stage presence they made for a hugely enjoyable act. They put on a blinding show that was tight as hell, and you could tell that not only were they clicking musically but that they were having a smashing time on stage, with excited energy spilling off onto the dance floor.
Rebel Soul Collective live at the Bodega Social
Finally came Rebel Soul Collective, clearly buzzing off the release of their shiny new EP and raring to beat the crowd into dance-induced submission. Their insanely contagious multi-faceted mix of funk, soul, jazz and rock with an extra helping of synths would be enough to get even the mopiest of dreary hipsters up on their feet, and occasional gems such as a drum, bass and cowbell solo meant that anyone looking out into the audience was met by a sea of smiles. There were multi-part vocal harmonies, funky wah-wah guitars, infectious rhythms and glimmering synth sounds along with sporadic trumpet solos, all wrapped up in a glorious blanket of beautiful chaos. This is a band that will not stand for quiet appreciation; they demand, nay deserve, that you dance like a tit and leave their gigs soaked in sweat and beer. Thank heavens it was a Friday night.
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