Beginning an acoustic set with Bombay Bicycle Club’s ‘Dust On The Ground’, The Pretty Marx opened up a chilled out, but gripping night at The Winchester. With a stripped back sound front man James Hazell’s voice transpired into something truly extraordinary, husky and deep. Continuing the set with a new song titled ‘Serfs’ followed by EP number ‘Ab Imo Pectore’, the waves of lightly plucked guitar strings combined with strong vocals brought peace and tranquility to my mind.

Taking to the stage next were Zac Harris and The Blackwater Caravan (pictured), like an eclectic shock the band brought a wild and noticeably louder sound to the stage. Stopping at nothing, flowing fluently from one song to the next with a thumping bass and heavy drum beats, these guys were on fire. Their raw energy pulled on my heartstrings and dragged me into a crazy scene of pick-ups and come downs. Stealing my energy they played ‘Twist The Blade’ and ‘Destroy What You Deserve’ all with as much angst and franticness that they could muster. Playing with an intensity that was hard to believe, this band has reached the levels of true brilliance that they deserve.

Headlining were Kinnie The Explorer, out of their comfort zone with no familiar crowd or mixer they took a while to warm up. Opening with ‘Blind Spider’ they then played two new songs which in my opinion although good, it took a while for the band to look like they were enjoying playing. Nervous in between songs, the tuning and changing of guitars took an unprofessional amount of time. However the audience were patient knowing that these guys had not yet reached their full potential, they then pulled out ‘From The Floor’ which saw people literally take to the floor for a dance instantly lightening the mood. ‘Fairy Lit Hung Flowers’ flowed from a funky jam into an elliptical illusion pioneering this bands excellence. In response to both sound and mixing difficulties Kinnie finished with ‘Fazell’s Garden’ their brand new single. This alone poignantly stood out as both a crowd pleaser and a fine closing song for what was musically a moving evening.

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