A LIVE REVIEW FT ARIFF AB, SHUT UP SALLY, WEST MIDLANDS, ME=U, YAMA RAMA – 02/11/23

On Friday 2nd November Charley Ann headed to the Old Dispensary in London to witness a stellar line up of acts.

ARIFF AB

Ariff AB is an acoustic singer/ song writer. He kicked off proceedings wonderfully tonight with his own brand of melody coupled with his beautiful songwriting ability.

SHUT UP SALLY

Next were Shut Up Sally and I haven’t been this excited for an all female line up since the Spice Girls and Girl Power. Shut Up Sally came on stage dripping head to toe in 90s vogue reminiscent of my school days, the nostalgia it created took me right back to my youth.

Hailing from all across London, a collective of Brit school students, self-described as being in the early stages of experimenting with sound from shoegaze to nu-metal and indie, I’d like to introduce them with some cool nicknames but instead I’ll present Tahlia – guitar /vocals, Connie – vocals, Martha – bass, Lokbe – drums, and Adreza – guitar and synth.

This powerhouse girl band dared to cover Jeff Buckley’s So Real, I’m not one for covers but this literally captured me. The haunting echoing vocals from Connie and Tahlia captivated the crowd, I’ve never seen anyone even attempt Jeff Buckley’s singing style before, girls get in the studio and write your hearts out and I’ll see you in 2024 as it’s gonna be exceptional.

WEST MIDLANDS

I feel like there’s an episode of Who Do You Think You Are, did Jack Black’s dad pop over to the West Midlands? Because I swear I just saw his love child on stage. This is the best kind of perfectly orchestrated musical chaos on stage I have seen in a long time, but with added talent and big big guitar riffs. Leave ya mind at the door and enter the madhouse it’s gonna be fun and unlike anything you have ever seen before They are one of those you-have-to-see-to-believe kind of bands, someone please book these guys as I need another listen right now!

ME=U

The cool cat has entered the building, oozing charisma, charm and a voice that could warm the coldest of hearts. Singer Patrick Lyons has a message and instead of trying to deliver it with harmonies and melodies he literally snake charms the crowd, who pretty quickly start singing his songs back at him. He’s backed by a flawless and refined band whose music got the audience to congregate at the front of the stage, fully immersed in the music chanting Serve and obey !!!

YAMA RAMA

Just when I thought London was losing some of its appeal to our equally vibrant northern counterparts Yama Rama’s epic journey to the big smoke made it clear bands still want a taste of London, so when ya pal says ‘Oh he’s had a long journey with a 45 min trek on the tube,’ think about this.

Singer Charlie Clark started out in Stornaway, a remote island in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. As soon as I heard this my mind was wondering how on earth does he get a curry on a Friday? Do they have some sort of pigeon deliveroo up there?  

So what would have been an average journey for someone as well-travelled as Charlie Clark started off with a cancelled ferry and turned into planes, trains and a 6-hour car journey from Glasgow. After exhausting all modes of transport and being stopped by police, joint in hand (not the driver ) CJ drove his car through a storm with the windows open and froze just to keep himself awake. This just shows the band’s sheer determination to perform and the hard work and graft they are willing to put in. To me this is all part of the band’s appeal, not only do they want to connect with their fans with songs of love and despair but they are willing to go to any lengths to perform.

The band played a four-song set, with songs with Bob Dylan-influenced vocals and the cure-style riffs. Yama Rama’s songs are personal, honest and raw, like they are singing from the pages of their diary. They want to let you into their emotional state and to let their listeners know they too are not alone in their darkest days. That love is also there. Their songs really resonated with me and on stage the band have a real close connection, down to Charlie personally hand-picking his band members.

As an avid campaigner for better support for mental health, I know from my personal experience that music and the arts are vital outlets for anyone’s emotional well-being. If music like this is produced in the isolated isles of Stornoway then I urge everyone to seek solace in such isolation as it may give you the perfect environment to pour your deepest angst and emotions into your music and create something that could change someone’s life.

The set ended on a different note with ‘Influencers Must Die’. A song the band has put out there to show their disgust for online influencers pushing their agendas and forcing us to consume their content. While social media is a necessary evil, it is clear that Yama Rama are more interested in getting their message across through their music. The song is due to be released as the band’s debut release on Bubblebrain Records on the 23rd November.

I would love to see these guys again in another intimate venue with more instruments in the mix. I think it would really enhance the already well-rounded sound that they have.  

And this is one of the questions I raised with the boys when I managed to have a quick chat with them after the show:

If you could bring another instrument into the mix what would it be? 

An Harmonica or the tambourine as I think that would add another layer to our sound.

What song would be the theme tune to your life so far? 

Charlie – Sweet Nothing 

CJ –  I’m So Tired 

Shuggy – Helter Skelter  

Any releases coming up? 

23rd October we release our debut single Influencers Must Die, so for the video we have had to obtain litres of blood, it’s gonna be a blood bath….

Oh er, well that sounds interesting doesn’t it!! Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what unveils in due course.

Live review and photos by Charley Ann