Lauren Aquilina on stage for the Island Life Tour at Lee Rosy's - Photo by Hannah Parker
Sometimes attending gigs featuring up-and-coming artists can be hit-and-miss at times, not knowing what you are going to get with numerous James Bay look-a-likes singing Jake Bugg sound-a-like songs. However, this makes it so much more exciting when you go to a gig and walk out at the ebd saying “They’re going to make it one day!”. Sofar Sounds and Island Records managed to find such exciting new acts. This year they brought to Nottingham two solo artists and a very quirky-looking band made up of four too-cool-for-school guys.
The artist that was given the tough job of starting off the night was Lauren Aquilina, and she made it look easy. Standing in front of a crowded café with all eyes staring at you, and all you have to hide behind is a keyboard must be difficult, but if there were any nerves running through her, you wouldn’t know.
With her soft and mesmerising voice, the power this dainty little lady had shocked everyone in the room. The control she held whilst converting from the more low-key verses of each song to the stronger chorus’s was enough to have you believing she’s been doing this for thirty years. However, there was a vulnerability felt from her songs, possibly due to her coming across a little shy but also through how personal her songs seemed to herself making Lauren a very endearing artist.
The second artist of the night was Tom Prior, standing alone onstage aside from the same red keyboard as used by Lauren. Although he had beautiful warmth to his voice, he also brought out a powerfully raspy tone which slightly resembled a young Bryan Adams – I do hope people take that as a compliment because Bryan Adams is a legend. When he sings it’s from the heart and everyone in the room could feel the emotion coming from his set giving us all in the audience goosebumps.
The third and final act of the night, Flyte, grabbed your attention as soon as they stood behind their microphones and instruments. They began their performance with a Bowie tribute with its simplicity showcasing the inspiration the band had from him. They followed on from this with their own tracks, and despite the band laughing about not being able to follow Bowie, they certainly held their own with their song-writing talent.
All the songs they performed not only showcased the band’s capability with their instruments, their voices, but also their incredible harmonies between all four members, with no one voice overpowering another. It can take a while for a band to become in sync enough to nail every single harmony, but these guys have clearly had a lot of practice at it. Their raw and fresh sound had a hint of The Beatles feel but with their own modern take on the classic rock ‘n’ roll genre. It would be difficult not to imagine how successful Flyte could become during the next year and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them on the festival scene sometime soon.
Sofar Sounds and Island Records Presents: Island Life Tour 2016 with Lauren Aquilina, Tom Prior, and Flyte took place at Lee Rosy's on Wednesday 09 March 2016.
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