KAWALA created a magical evening through their use of holy harmonies and their interactions with the crowd.
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10
Entering the venue, The Joiners, there was a prominent atmosphere of community and excitement amongst the many fans who had arrived early to get a good spot, although with the cosy feel of the small venue, there didn’t seem to be a bad place to stand! I was amazed by the venue’s décor of the many posters of artists who had once played there, and was surprised to see bands such as The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Bombay Bicycle Club featuring. This seems to promote the idea that the venue is ideal for talented up and coming bands, such as KAWALA!
The support act, Sun Silva, were the perfect choice to warm the crowd up, playing a mix of mellow calming singles, to upbeat classics such as ‘Blue Light’. Having never really listened to them before, I was left questioning how this was the case, and have since been playing them on repeat.
KAWALA began their set with one of their older songs, ‘Funky’, which got the crowd dancing straight away and set the tone for the rest of the evening. The band played a balanced mix of new and old songs, as well as introducing some unreleased songs from an upcoming EP, including ‘Animals’, a personal favourite of mine.
The lighting and production of the gig was very impressive, with spot on timing for different colours for different sections of songs. A specific setting where only one gold tinted light was used with the rest of the venue being blacked out was extremely impactful when used alongside acoustic vocal harmonising, giving a goosebump effect.
The performance was very tight and polished, with interludes in-between songs, which I had not seen from this band before at previous concerts, showing how the band have grown and developed. The interactivity of the band members with the audience made the experience feel very unique.
Even after a set of around ten songs, the audience still wanted more, and the band delivered with an encore of ‘Runaway’, which seemed like the best way to end the night, leaving the crowd lively and reminiscent of the experience.
Check out the remaining tour dates here for an unforgettable evening.
