Myriam Adams
The Castle & Falcon
Review by Mae Simkin
Like many, I was hugely disappointed when ‘Freedom Day’ was moved mainly because of all the gigs I had tickets for were inevitably going to be postponed (in some cases again) or even worse, cancelled. That is in fact what happened apart from one, this gig, which thankfully moved venues so it could go ahead – and I’m so glad it did!
The Castle & Falcon has had a makeover since the last time I was there in February 2020, and I love what they’ve done with the place. It was a great venue before, but the changes have made it even better and I cannot wait, especially after last night, to go gigging there again.
A fun night kicked off with indie-rock quartet Five O Fives who I thoroughly enjoyed when I saw them play at Dead Wax last month and this time they were even better. They carry a great stage personality with good humour and they’re all genuinely really talented at what they do. From ‘Stranded’ to ‘Through The Darkness’ the crowd were loving every second and I could see how much their applause and cheering meant to them.
I love the sound this band have created, particularly the funky beats and basslines. It makes you want to dance and I’m sure under normal circumstances people would have been. Great vocals and harmonies too. My favourite songs they played were ‘You Are All’ and ‘Slippers’, although the second of the two isn’t officially named that. I think they should keep the name though. It will forever be ‘Slippers’ to me.
It was so good to hear their most recent single, ‘Something To Do’, in a live setting. They also played a couple of songs that they hinted will be released in the foreseeable future which I will look forward to.
Quentin Francis were up next, a west-midlands supergroup involving The Sunset Beach Hut’s Matty George (lead vocals and guitar) and Luke McCrohon (bass), Ross Carley of Echo Beach! (lead guitar) and La Dharma’s James Morris (drums). My first thought was that it is weird not seeing Matty on drums but that was quickly forgotten when he showed how good a frontman he is. Not only that, but he also has some moves. I wanted to bop along with him, especially during ‘FC’.
They were upbeat from the off and I immediately recognised their opening song from watching ‘IVW 0121 Livestream Festival’ via The Sunflower Lounge back in January. It was great to hear it properly with the full band (although I don’t think they mentioned what it is called).
Indie-pop riffs with rock beats, great harmonies, and a strong shirt game. They in a way remind me of KAWALA, similar genre with bundles of fun. I particularly liked ‘Same Song’ which they wrote during the first lockdown, and I hope they release it digitally in the near future.
There was a lot of excitement in the sold-out venue leading up to Myriam Adams making their way onto the stage. They definitely have some dedicated fans made quickly apparent by the screaming when they first appeared that didn’t really stop throughout their set. The atmosphere was incredible. I didn’t think it would be possible to have that great an atmosphere at a socially distanced show – although some members of the crowd were pushing the rules.
The band first came onto my radar during the ‘IVW 0121 Livestream Festival’ that I mentioned earlier, and I was blown away by the song writing and performing talent, and that was during a stripped back set. Their show last night was wild. For a ‘small artist’ they push the production value to the limit and everything about their performance is so well thought out, I was really impressed.
They started with ‘Angerangercute’ and immediately the sold out crowd of one hundred was losing their minds. It was like a battle of who could show the most energy, the band, or the audience, I can’t say for sure who won that one. It was entertaining all the same.
I enjoyed hearing every track off their latest EP, ‘Sexy Suburban Sadness’, live because it is one of my favourite releases this year and I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed in how they’re played in a live setting, and I wasn’t. ‘Babe’ sounded incredible, I loved the bassline in ‘Best Nude’, overall, the vocal effects are very well used, and it is impressive how they managed to balance the rockier, punk tracks with the toned-down emotional ones. It was a good mix and really showcases what they’re all about.
It is difficult to pigeonhole them into one genre when they’re an eclectic mix of many like bubble-gum pop, electro-rock, punk, emo, just to name a few.
Frontman Jacques Hete not only has brilliant energy levels and a voice many would wish to have, but he also has that swagger needed when being the face of a band, and it was obvious to me how much he loved the audience interaction and participation.
Other songs that sounded great include:
‘Love Me’ which the fans were singing all the lyrics of. ‘I Want To Go Home’, trust me, people did not want to go home. This show meant a lot to many people, and it showed. And newest single, ‘LA’, which is a great tune and included cowbell in the intro, so I was sold from the off!
If one of Myriam Adams’ ‘covid safe’ shows was that unreal then I’m sure one of their normal shows would be insane. I was a fan before I went but I am an even bigger one now.
They’re brilliant and they know they are.