Canvas gig- Review
By Mollie Campbell.
On Wednesday 13th June, young musicians from the Bournemouth Academy of Modern Music took to the stage to showcase their end of year gig in front of family, friends and industry VIP’s. As the bands filled the room with sounds old and new, it was difficult to not feel inspired. From the moment the up and coming talent of Bournemouth took to the spotlight, it was foreshadowing a very impressive night of live music to come.
The opening bands included first year students of the academy, and whilst ordinarily you might expect them to not have developed a ‘professional’ way of performing yet, this was not the case on Wednesday night as they graced the stage with confidence and a refreshing sense of familiarity. The second year 2 band to play featured very impressive musicianship, a level of expertise you might not expect from young adults, the vocals matched that of a seasoned musician, only adding to the excellence of the showcase. The splurge of funk sounds filled up the intimate venue with infectious energy and an accomplished level of skill. Whilst some speech extracts can feel forced and cliché in a music venue, these guys delivered their audience interaction with conviction and a sense of boldness that even some professional musicians find hard to muster. The audience response was energetic to say the least, especially for such a small venue. Breaking into a Bill Withers cover was an audacious move for a student – assembled band, yet it paid off, coming across as an undeniable parallel with the original, a feat hard to achieve. Whilst the replication was special, the musical interpretation was brimming with artistic flair and intuition, achieving a powerful measure of competence.
An unexpected interjection was the inclusion of BAMM principal Martin Bradford on saxophone, which not only contributed to this sense of unity from the small music college, but it also portrayed the inclusion of music role models who don’t shy away from music performance themselves, something for students look up to and learn from. Next was an old school-infused band who opened their set with a soft-rock 70’s classic, Hotel California by The Eagles was never going to be an easy song to cover but they pulled it off. Musically very impressive, the sounds flowed throughout the venue, provoking a mystical sense of nostalgia. Specific praise should be directed towards the guitarist in this band, who provided an immaculate replication of Don Felder’s timeless sound. This audience focused band finished their set with a Guns ‘N’ Roses classic (Paradise City), encapsulating their hard-rock driven, glam-rock attempt in this post-glam modern world.
The passion surrounding the tutors and students of BAMM is evident from the moment you walked into the venue, and when onstage this passion manifests into pure energy, making it nearly impossible to look away. Their infectious sounds and an undeniable hunger for success ensured that the audience was experiencing a glimpse of the future of music, and based off this gig, a future that will hardly disappoint.
Mollie Writes 