Cornwall’s Charlie Louise was the first act to play Plymouth Pavilions in early October, and although she came across as a little shy, she put on a good show. Singing both covers and originals got the crowd invested, especially as the covers were more eighties tunes. Having just started out in the music industry and releasing her debut EP, she definitely has a stage presence that makes it impossible to look away. She engaged more with the crowd between songs and started to explain them more than she did at the start.
Her set was split into two halves, piano and a mix of acoustic and electric guitar. She was more engaged with the crowd during the guitar set but came across as more comfortable when she was playing the piano. This worked to her advantage, however, because her passion for music really showed in that first half an hour.
Sound of the Sirens was the second act to play at October’s Pavilions Introduces show and certainly knew how to get a good reaction out of the fans of all three acts. Already warmed up from hearing Charlie Louise, the crowd was ready for the engagement they got. The girls, Abbe Martin and Hannah Wood work really well together, constantly cracking jokes and getting the crowd laughing. Their energy was infectious and definitely rubbed off on the crowd. Their voices fit together well and are ideally suited to the acoustic folk-rock genre they like to play. They took control of the room as soon as they opened their mouths, which is what every band wants when they walk on stage, as well as people who hear their music on Spotify or on the radio turning out to see them which Sound of the Sirens also had. The image of the band was consistent across both members, which made it easier for fans to concentrate on the music.
They played mostly original material, but the crowd didn’t mind at all. Their music is catchy and quickly picked up at a show, making for a great reaction from both new and old fans. Parts of some songs required audience engagement which was highly entertaining for everyone, and when combined with the jokes made by the band members, made the evening a whole lot more special.
Just when you thought the gig couldn’t get any better, the hour-long set took a turn and became slightly less energetic for a while as the girls played some of their slower songs. The crowd were still just as enthralled by these as they were by the slightly more upbeat tracks. This made the show memorable for the band and made the opportunity of a lifetime one to remember. Bands in the southwest dream of playing The Pavilions and they should be proud of the show they put on.
However, they could still top the more acoustic part of the set, by speeding it up again and announcing they would be back. None of the crowd knew that they meant they were a part of the next set! Abbe and Hannah came out to join The Kaizens at the end of the final set of the night to play ‘Whiskey and Wine’, a crowd favourite which turned into the anthem of the whole show when Sound of the Sirens joined their friends on stage and gave the crowd a new version of the song they all know and love. They later disappeared into the crowd for a while but who can blame them?
The band were amazing, the crowd favourite of the night, and due to their comedic stage presence mixed with their raw talent, they were instantly loved by the crowd. Anyone who saw that show would highly recommend going to see them live, or even just listening to their music online. They definitely gave a show to remember and judging by how many albums they sold when the night was over, they gained themselves a good deal more fans too!
Indie-rock band The Kaizens played one of the venues they thought they could only dream about. At the start of October, the boys played Plymouth Pavilions, the O2 of the South West music scene. They were headlining one of the Pavilions Introduces shows which aims to showcase the best talent in the local area. Playing alongside the Devon Youth Orchestra they put on a show and a half!
Lead singer Tom Bushin has changed his look since their last big show in March, leaning more towards a Grease vibe than his classic Catfish and The Bottlemen style. Combined with their new music and the energy of his performance, this was a really good decision. The individual style of each member of the band tied together a little bit more because of this change which meant the four of them fit together as a rock band as opposed to an indie-rock band.
Tom and guitarist Josh May shared a moment on stage at the start of the show, while playing their newest release ‘Broken’ in which they seemed to be a bit starstruck at the venue but who are we to judge? They’ve spent years dreaming of that moment. Drummer Ryan Wighton was glad he was finally on a raised stage, and he made the most of it by constantly interacting with bassist Sam Swann. His passion for the music he writes shows through in the effort he puts into their shows, as does Sam’s, and this rubs off on the crowd.
In terms of the setlist, all the classics were played but the boys made the uncharacteristic decision to change their set order and start with ‘Broken’ which was guaranteed to get their fans excited, especially with the single being officially released on the morning of the show. The acoustic section of this set was far shorter than it has been in previous shows, which gave the performance a lot more energy. The covers they played were the same as usual, featuring ‘Franz Ferdinand’ and ‘Foster the People’. There weren’t many other changes to the order, but why change something that already works? Especially when it’s the older songs, ‘Desperado’, ‘You’ and ‘Whiskey and Wine’ that get the crowd moving!
Words and photography by Chloe Pollard.