Support bands are always interesting, and Kickstarter’s were no exception.
Flunx were up first, a band who thought themselves to be the next Blink-182. Their characters were as different as the flavours in a bag of Revels: the guitarist was donned in a Superman costume, their lead singer had tunnels and tattoos, and their drummer seemed to be about 12. Superman, with his super-low slung guitar, kept shouting awkwardly at the audience to come closer. Needless to say, the audience stayed where they were, probably wishing they could sink through the floor. I would also suggest that if they are going to sing completely in unison, they should make sure that they are in unison — not harmonising in seconds by accident. They (and their mums) probably had fun, though.
Midday Committee were next, and despite having the world’s most awkward bass player they were likable. Similar to New Found Glory or Fall Out Boy. Unfortunately I missed Skull Kids, but I hear they are very good. Then came Kickstarter…
Their Star Wars dubstep mix brought a smile to my face, which was then effortlessly moulded into the Rage Against the Machine-esque ‘Fight Back’. Their performance was musical and tight, with frontman Laurence Ayeni’s rapping skillfully floating over the top. Never once was he out of breath, unlike some rappers who cannot perform their own songs without breaking the phrase for a breather. He had a warm rapport with the audience, and all the right moves in all the right places. Drummer Eliot Curtis said that: “Our lead singer treats the venue as a jungle”, and this was certainly true. Ayeni scaled the amps and seemed to be in a music-related frenzy. I sincerely hope he found his shoes, and that no mics were injured in the making of this performance.
I particularly enjoyed the ensemble: Ross Graham’s bass lines added something to the mix, rather than staying in the background; and Curtis’ drumming punctuated the songs through skillful improvisation and musicianship. Notably, Lee Avant is the first guitarist I’ve witnessed who has asked for his amp to be turned down. I especially enjoyed this, as it shows an awareness of the ensemble and of the band’s sound as a whole, unlike younger bands who continuously ask for their own lines to be turned up (see my Oxjam review).
I would have liked to have seen a better synthesis between the computer-generated effects and the live performance. The incorporation of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme was not to my taste, but it was nonetheless imaginative.
Here is a band who clearly love what they do, and whose audience love it too.
Check out Kickstarter on Facebook here.
