The Dead Freights (+Shy Boy +Elixir) 26.01.17



The Dead Freights (+Shy Boy +Elixir) // The Brook // Independent Venue Week
26.01.17

The Brook had nailed the line-up for their take on Independent Venue Week. Instead of relying on huge name bands to celebrate this wonderful week, The Brook was fully aware that local, Southampton bands would pack the place out and make it as successful as they could have ever wanted.
Shy Boy are a 4-piece band from Southampton and oozed energy and passion, whilst disguised in suits. With small hints of The Libertines in their songs and sprinklings of Radiohead lightly brushed over their authentic sound, Shy Boy stood out from other bands. Their set contained tight harmonies that were hair-raising to listen to and the chemistry between the 4 guys worked.
Their track ‘Over The Hill’, also released as a single on their Bandcamp, was their stand out song. It was a free-spirited, friendly track accompanied by a delicate 60’s sound being swept over the top. Each song they played got more and more exciting, showing hints of a multitude of inspirations, one stand out band being
Tribes. Shy Boy truly are a band to watch and one I’ve had on repeat since.

Elixir were next on and are another 4-piece from Southampton. With clear inspirations coming from bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Elixir were a very different style to the other bands. However, it was a refreshing mix of local talent and Elixir were enjoyed by the audience, proved by a small mosh breaking out at the end of their set. With Harry Stevenson on bass, the crushing bass lines in most songs created an angry, pure rock twist on the evening. Their stand out track of the night was ‘Inside’ single-handedly down to the Zepplin-esque riff that opened the track in style. With unexpected stops throughout the song creating tension and suspense, this song was a clean spin on our traditional idea of chaotic mess.

The Dead Freights were the headline band for tonight and are another 4-piece from Southampton (The Brook seemed to maintain a running theme…). They came on stage to a crowd overwhelmed with excitement and went straight into ‘Fall Behind’. Front men, Charlie James and Rob Franklin, embodied that Pete and Carl relationship with their stage presence and chemistry whilst their harmonies captured the attention of every person in The Brook.
With obvious inspirations taken from
The Kinks due to the raw, vintage sound found in Kinks’ tracks such as ‘Sold Me Out’, this rock ‘n’ roll 4-piece put a modernised spin on that old sound we first fell in love with.
With drummer, Louis Duarte taking over the vocals throughout the set and bassist Robby Spencer shining constantly throughout, projecting flawless talent, it was no surprise
The Dead Freights were beautifully adored by everyone. They closed their set with ‘Mama, I Won’t Waste Your Time’ and the opening notes that screamed Rolling Stones, were then bought back to the refreshing sound of the Freights.
With a dedicated following behind them,
The Dead Freights have also mastered the talent, refreshing sound, and rock ‘n’ roll presence to make it far in the music industry. By incorporating the sounds of 60’s rock with a bit of late 90’s indie, The Dead Freights will be Southampton’s next claim to fame.

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