Written for Nottingham Live - article available here.
It's
always interesting going into Jamcafé. You never quite know what to
expect from the gigs there, and Thursday 20th
February proved to be another one of those days. At first, it was
relaxed and chilled, with tables and candles and a nice little
crowd... Fast forward an hour or so, and the room is completely
buzzing with people dancing and cheering. It's always an adventure,
and this gig proved to be just that.
PATRICK PLUNKETT opened the proceedings with a bang, bringing one great
original after another. He has a great voice, which is strong and
secure but with vulnerabilities and a sweet tone. The chorus pretty
much sums up the song “we
had the MTV dream, we were only fourteen, though we never got far,
the dream's burning bright in our hearts”.
The chorus is very catchy, with a lighthearted feel possibly due to
the classic melody/chord structures. It's a lovely track, and
certainly makes for a great single.
Although
Patrick Plunkett obviously enjoys the acoustic genre, and his vocals
are well suited to it, at times I can't help but feel that his voice
and sometimes his songs could also sit comfortably in front of a rock
band, he is truly versatile. He also appears to be very comfortable
on the stage, and his voice doesn't falter at all which shows his
professionalism. Another song which was particularly ear catching was
indeed called Attracting
Attention, which is apt.
The melodies and chords are simple but have a sweetness in their
simplicity, which is enhanced by sweet lyrics such as “always
attracting attention, you're too beautiful to mention, I get lost, I
think I'm losing you”.
The delivery is passionate and honest, and it is followed by another
great number called Hooked
On Desire, which depicts
how he is “crazy in love/crazy in pain”. The song is cheerful,
although the lyrics show a whole different story. “I
can't let you out of my head, would you let me get into you instead”
are the main lyrics of the bridge section, which shows his pain, but
the major key and pop style melodies contradict these, which creates
a juxtaposition which works well for the song.
Closing
the set on Change,
Patrick ends on a sadder note than the previous numbers, which
personally I prefer. The chords are contemplative and reflective,
fitting the chorus well with lyrics “when
I came back I was changed, I'm bruised but in a good way, I know that
I'm alive”. Although the
song features the painful side of love, its intrinsically optimistic,
ending the set on a delicate and powerful tone.
Next to
take to the stage were KANE ASHMORE followed by REBECCA KING,
however, due to their EP launch two days later at The Lacehouse, they
asked me to review that gig instead, which you can read HERE.
However, I will say that their acoustic performances separately and
together were both laid back and although a little haphazard, were
fun and enjoyable. Read my review of the Rebecca King EP launch HERE.
Finally,
headlining the evening was JOY MUMFORD, a fantastic performer, who
happened to bring in the most ridiculous crowd. There were so many
fans arriving all at one at one point in the evening that it seemed
like a totally endless stream of them coming through the Jamcafé
doors! But they gathered for good reason, as her performance was
truly awesome. Opening her set she played Attention,
a
song which certainly grabbed the audience's attention with Joy's
strong vocals and excellent stage presence. She was accompanied by
her band consisting of drums, bass and electric guitar while she sang
and played acoustic guitar. This number was a great opener, paving
the way to a wonderful cover of Neon by John Mayer, which moved the
set into a really funky place. There are notably good electric guitar
and bass parts that build up the foundations of the song, allowing
for Joy's beautiful vocals to sing the subtly rising melodies, which
build anticipation for the chorus, where she erupts into soulful
singing, it is truly a beautiful rendition.
Next
up she dons her acoustic guitar for another original entitled My
Child,
which changes the pace of the set, with ethereal and heavily
reverberated electric guitar, this creates a spaciousness (even in a
packed Jamcafé!) and allows the clarity of Joy's vocals to shine
through. The soulful and painful chorus “this
song will isolate you, violate you, talk lies to you. I'm here to
separate you, remake you”
is made more poignant by her crystal clear and soulful vocals which
pierce through the ethereal accompaniment, and it works incredibly
well. The song is truly beautiful and honest, with heartbreaking
melodies and in the absence of the other band members (except for the
occasional atmospheric cymbal roll), the vocal lines have even more
weight and importance, and this makes it even sadder, and more
gorgeous. Following this song with another original called The
Fall
is another sombre and heartbreaking number about the falls endured
during relationships, with lovely chords and soulful, sad melodies
which are made more so by the tone of Joy's voice and her gorgeously
honest and heartfelt lyrics; “but
you took the fall, I could have had it all, you gave me everything
even when I turned away. I had missed it all when you took the fall,
but now I would give it all for you, I would give it all for love.”
The relationship between the lyrics and the music are unique and it
becomes apparent to me how incredible her band are, they are so
smooth and professional, and seem truly invested in what they're
playing, and their passion and dedication seems to really come
through. The sadness of the song is respected, and the communication
between Joy and her band is strong and they are well connected. It's
a beautiful number.
At
first, the next song begins gently, with electric guitar and bass
playing quietly, then as the drums come in, it livens up a bit,
flourishing into a lovely cover of Sunday Morning by Maroon 5. It is
relaxed but still picks up the pace from the last couple of sadder
numbers. The chilled nature of the cover really flaunts her vocals
though, and her stage presence is great as she makes eye contact with
the audience and is having a nice time up there, dancing and enjoying
herself. She is still very involved with what she is singing though,
and is hugely entertaining. After this number, she announces that the
next one is to be her last, which received a huge objection from the
crowd who loves her, they are obviously keen to hear a lot more. This
final number called I
Had To Go
is another funkier song, with great guitar and bass riffs driving the
song forward, and complementing her passionate and clear vocals.
Again Joy is dancing on stage, and as the rhythm and the vocal
melodies build, the song then erupts with a huge amazing funkiness
which is just so infectiously awesome that you can't help but feel oh
so very funky.
Of
course that was not the final number, and she gives the audience
exactly what they want with another song. Going for a more
traditional, 90's pop feel, Joy Mumford opts for an encore of Wannabe
by the Spice Girls. However this cover has definitely been tailored
to Joy's pleasures, and is a lot more soulful and funky than the
original, especially with the repeated “that's
the way”
in the chorus. The pedal work on the guitar also creates a very funky
vibe, and the guitar solo is awesome, and shows off his musicianship.
This cover breathed new life into a classic pop hit, and created a
whole new way to enjoy the Spice Girls.
Joy
is a truly charismatic and soulful performer, and isn't afraid to
explore various genres and interpret them in a unique way to
accomplish her creative goals. She is fiery and timid at the same
time, with heartbreaking lyrics she is vulnerable, but the
accompanying music tends to be strong, funky and soulful which gives
her a unique appeal. Her headline set at Jamcafé was incredible, and
I can't wait to see her perform again.
By Cassia Helme
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