The evening provided a strong showcase for the artists involved.
Ripple Music Group celebrated its second birthday in style recently with a show under the lights of the magnificent Hub at St Mary’s in the heart of Lichfield.
Featuring mostly original music, peppered with the odd cover, the evening provided a strong showcase for the artists involved and demonstrated the level of talent that is abundant throughout the region. An eclectic mix of styles and genres kept the capacity audience happy throughout a show lasting close to four hours. No easy task, but well managed thanks to consistent quality and superb acoustics.
Emerging artist Amália Estradas kicked off the night with a confident and engaging set of original material, finishing with a crowd pleasing rendition of Florence and The Machine’s You’ve Got The Love. Her own songs jumped from reflective to rousing, nicely linked with audience ‘chat’ that only added to her likeability.
Up next was Minisinim, an established singer songwriter with a strong original catalogue. Not afraid to incorporate falsetto into an already impressive vocal range, this was an assured performance, showcasing some clever lyric writing.
Thomas Atlas started with intent by delivering a short blues guitar instrumental, setting up a gorgeously crafted set list that mixed pure blues with elements of jazz and funk… even soul at times. Sultry vocals (reminiscent on occasion of Michael McDonald) and intricate guitar playing made for a superb and engaging set that worked perfectly in the intimacy of the space.
Acoustic trio Paper Bird was up next, formed by Ripple Music’s Founder, Cloudy Gálvez. The group is made up of Cloudy (keys and vocals), Ben Drummond (guitar and vocals) and Carrieann Hathaway (guitar and vocals). Smooth blended harmonies and some effortless guitar picking by Drummond created a pleasing sound that bodes well for such a new outfit. Hathaway’s rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird was beautifully delivered.
And so to the evening’s headliners. Kitten Pyramid… a band it’s almost impossible to categorise, but I’m sure that’s how they’d want it! Touches of Zappa, punk, Nick Drake, Talking Heads, prog rock and plenty more combined to produce a unique overall sound that varied from song to song. Fronted by Scott Milligan, the lyric writing is astute and seemingly quite personal, detailing life experiences and refections. A tight and punchy band with a drummer (Rob Redfern) that could easily win a Taylor Hawkins lookalike contest!
A shout out to Lewis Cocker on the sound desk who performs miracles at The Hub, ensuring superb acoustics in a space not specifically designed for it.
All in all, a great night and a very fitting way to celebrate a birthday.
Look out for more Ripple Music Events across the region. They will also be back at The Hub on 12 November for a collaboration with The Acoustic Lounge, featuring six of the finest emerging and established artists from the area. Tickets are on sale now!
For more information on The Ripple Music Group, go to www.ripplemusicgroup.com