Alex Moir, Live at the Sunflower Lounge (3/4/15) +EP Review.

George Gadd

Lauren Pryke

As I had missed Emma Thomas. George Gadd was the first act I saw. An Acoustic singer/songwriter yet at times, he seemed more like a comedian, telling jokes in-between the false starts, technical difficulties and frequent heckles of 'GEORGE LADD!' He asked the audience to come closer to the stage, because he didn't like the "fuck you horseshoe" (my new Favourite phrase) between him and us. Coming all the way from Nottingham to perform, he was in a cheery mood which is just as well as his folk songs are about the trials of growing up, and seem to reflect his travelling, yet are hopeful in tone despite the subject matter. Next up was Lauren Pryke, who seemed a tad nervous and shy. The Sunflower Lounge was beginning to pack out, yet sadly her delicate, finger picked acoustic songs were slightly drowned out by the DJ set happening upstairs. Despite this her mix of originals and re-imagined covers of pop-punk songs by the likes of Blink 182, went down well with a slowly packing out Sunflower Lounge.
georgegadd.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/laurenmariepryke


Alex Moir 

Last time I saw Alex Moir play live it was at Talk!, as part of a free KILLR PUNX Acoustic night, (bit of an Oxymoron that one) which was so dead that even the head-liners (Modern Minds) didn't show up. Right from the start things looked better for this freebie gig. It was the launch night for Alex Moir's Debut 'The Numbers Game' EP. But more significantly the first gig he'd ever played with his new band. Alex Moir's music has a much fuller sound with his new band, who add rhythm into the mix in an almost jazzy, laid back sort of way. I feel he needs a name for them, maybe Alex Moir and The Sunflower's after where their first gig together was, No? Yet it's Alex's band and he's the star. I feel that given time he could be a new folk hero for a generation of kids who love folk but hate banjos. His voice has a Mumford-ish growl mixed with a punk rock snarl. His songs are catchy tunes that you can sing along to every word of even if you're only hearing them for the first time. Such as Havana with it's chorus of 'Thats life! oooohh-WoooaAAAAAHHOOO' He even threw in a cover of Peace's Wraith and made it totally his own. Easily the best gig I've ever been to (that I didn't have to pay for).

B-Town Rating: 7.2/10


The Numbers Game EP
Alex Moir bore little resemblance to the guy on the cover of his EP, when I pointed this out, all he said was 'Good'. Ironically the music on it bore little resemblance to the music I heard at the show.  The tracks have had a bit a studio makeover, which makes them feel dated and over produced. Yet this hasn't ruined the quality of the songs, which sound great no matter how much keyboard's you throw on them. The title track was produced by Alex himself and the stripped back approach he has used works a lot better.


alexmoirofficial.com