The Fleece, April 23rd 2022
Local alt-funk band Horses on the Beach opened the night with one goal in mind – to make people dance. And that, they definitely achieved. Even with one of its five members missing, HOTB delivered an extremely engaging performance with improvised trumpet solos that kept the audience on the edge of their (metaphorical)seats. The band’s unique sound that combines optimistic light-hearted melodies and funky rhythms was certainly a recipe for success as the end of their set was met with relentless cheer and excitement from the crowd.
In anticipation to their new album Poor Little England, The Undercover Hippy have been touring the UK bringing together fans from all walks of life, and Saturday night was no exception. With topics ranging from the condemnation of cultural colonialism to witty party anecdotes, this gig was certainly the wild ride of emotions one can always expect from them, and the intimate staging of The Fleece ensured that the powerful delivery of the political commentary in songs like ‘Borders’ and ‘Coming To The Gambia’ was at the centre stage of the performance. Together with Andreas’ gripping keyboard solos, Alex’s impressive mastery at the drums and Nick’s groovy bass lines, the music’s strong reggae influences and energetic rhythms made sure that the crowd kept dancing even to the most thought-provoking lyrics.
The band’s most popular song ‘Boyfriend’ made the audience go crazy with excitement as they joined Billy with a word-for-word singalong creating an unforgettably ecstatic atmosphere. Just as thrilling was to hear The Undercover Hippy’s new work, namely the Brexit-bashing ‘Fool Britannia and the equally ideologically charged ‘Poor Little England’, whose reception points to a very successful future album release. The closing song ‘Last Chance To Dance’ perfectly summarised the night – a truly unique and inspiring experience
With thanks to Boriana Pavlinova for the review and Cheyanne Jayne-Manning for the images
