I went back to Birmingham’s Rotunda Penthouse apartment on a cold, wet night just before Christmas, for another sensational offering from Songwall, with its gloriously intimate Songs in the Sky gig. The event showcases local musician’s in a unique setting overlooking Birmingham’s tremendous city skyline. This was my second encounter with Songs in the Sky and after its late summer gig in August, I knew the night wouldn’t disappoint. For newcomers to Songwall, founder Brendan Poynton created this unique home for up and coming musical talent, to enable them to be recognised fairly for their work, through its digital music platform and by setting up events like Songs in the Sky.
As we settled down to our bottle of prosecco we first heard Shotgun Marmalade front man Sid River performing a high energy acoustic set, bringing his indie-punk-ska sound to a more intimate audience. His full band is reminiscent of late 70s early 80s Clash, but with their own contemporary material, this is a vibe which River brings to his solo act, as he performed ‘punkoustic’ at the Rotunda. River has an upbeat tempo in his guitar rifts which I found uplifting, but he has a deep voice that fits well with his sound. This is what I like most about this event – the unplugged element, catching an artist in their purest form. And, I am now keen to see Sid’s full band Shotgun Marmalade in action and hitting the dance floor!
Reece Daniels is an R&B soul singer based between the West Midlands and London. Tonight Daniels performed as an acoustic duo with his guitarist Tom, a jazz, soul and rock guitarist, whose smooth style encompasses influences as diverse as Ted Greene, Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler. Hearing Daniels perform for the first time, I was struck by his sweet, tender vocals. He sings about past loves and the process of letting go and not settling for an average relationship. His gentle lyrics took me back to those formative experiences we can all relate too in our personal lives. Daniels exudes warmth, charm and tenderness, which hit me with every lyric. He certainly knows how to perform to his audience and quickly cast me under his soulful spell. Daniels music really took me back to my own personal journey through love and loss, each verse delivered with care and small helping of sass that comes through in his one line comments mid song. There is more to come from Reece Daniels, so watch this space.
To end the evening, I was instantly captivated by David Freja. His deep rustic vocals whisked me away to lush, green country fields and warm summer evenings, toe tapping and swaying to his rhythmic beats. Freja’s sound has that instant pull that takes you into a private world of longing and deep reflection. Compared to the likes of Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, Freja’s voice is deep, soulful and melodic. His live performance, with his mood driven, commanding guitar cords have the power to whip up a whole spectrum of emotions. David Freja is a unique and rare find, I can’t wait to see him perform again.
Be sure to subscribe to Songwall.com and be the first to hear about the upcoming 2020 ‘Songs In The Sky’ dates. Sometimes they sell out!
Article written by Mengxia Liu. IG – @liu.mengxia
Edited by Becky Hulme
NOTE: Photographs and images are copyright protected and cannot be used or edited without permission or a license.
CREDITS:
Filming, Photography & Video Edit: Oana Catalina. IG – @oanaslens
Filming: Max Priddy
Article written by Mengxia Liu. IG – @liu.mengxia
Edited by Becky Hume
CREDITS:
Filming, Photography & Video Edit: Oana Catalina. IG – @oanaslens
Filming: Max Priddy
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