#mr gee

"This Groove" por mR Gee .

A night that started with a great deal of stress and much swearing at my sat nav (no, I can't go down a one way street or make a U-turn on a dual carriageway) was to prove to be one fraught with technical difficulties. That said, both were overcome with extremely positive end results. I eventually managed to find my way, via several lengthy detours, to the (to coin my girlfriend's phrase) "well loved" Packhorse Pub in Leeds. This is a lovely venue, fragmented downstairs into a series of snugs, where groups huddled around fine local real ales and mused about life, the universe and everything (OK, I speculate on the subject matter, but that's what the ambience suggested). 

A small, and easily missed, staircase led to an upstairs area, and a dark yet cosy live venue, dimly lit by fairy lights and populated by an expectant gathering enjoying the miscellany of retro sweets littered on every available surface, not to mention the free CD that came with the entry fee (were the band trying to win us over early?). 

Anyway, on to the music. Support for the night came from local bands Lockstep and Narcs, both offering a very different sound, the first a stripped back acoustic set, reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine played in the style of Bob Marley, trust me, it sounded great.

Narcs were an entirely different proposition, young, energetic, and very loud, filling the small room with so much noise that the sound just hit the back wall and made it feel like you were hearing it from every direction. Great stuff.

And so, it was on to the headline act. Fold are a band I have only been aware of for a very short time, but have been hugely impressed with. Much like one of my favourite bands of the moment, the eccentrically brilliant Public Service Broadcasting, they use voice samples and turn them into musical masterpieces. Where PSB take a retrospective approach, Fold are much more modern, arguably urban act, but nonetheless equal masters of that merging of spoken word and rock riffs. 

I mentioned technical difficulties at the start of this review, and sadly the gremlins were to play a part in this night. I'm no sound engineer, but I knew something wasn't quite right, a sound that didn't belong, but I won't let that draw me into any negativity, the set was a cracker. These guys are going to be playing much bigger and better gigs than this. Everything was there to suggest this, great visuals, masterful command of timing and even that element of showmanship through use of a bubble machine to create that extra element of ambience to their performance, a simple trick used to great effect. 

Strangely enough, the technical issues were only evident between tracks, each one performed with aplomb (I've always wanted to use that word) and in no way diminished by the superfluous hum coming from an unknown source. The tracks themselves are each a majestic journey through the poetry of Mr.Gee, perfectly soundtracked by an extremely talent group of individuals, but you can judge that for yourselves by purchasing their Salvation EP which is now available.

What is most important about this gig is that everyone packed into that small room had a great time, and that they all wanted to see these guys again, and I definitely count myself amongst that number. 

This is a fantastic band, and I for one can't wait to see them at the next available opportunity. 

Salvation is now available to purchase here: