Blackbud

Recent reviews in the national press and a successful session on Zane Lowe’s show on Radio 1 towards the end of 2005 have brought the name of Blackbud to a wider audience and the band are inevitably developing a following of fans and others curious to catch them live. The Cavern is a strange little venue. It is tiny, but it has a pedigree of former unknown bands having played to unknowing audiences that include Muse and Coldplay.

There was a queue outside the Cavern when we arrived at 8.45pm but it was hard to tell if that was because Blackbud were playing or because its is free to get in before 9pm. By 9.30pm the club is filling up and a number of clusters of people have moved from the bar to the front of the stage to find out what Blackbud have to offer and by 9.45 when the band take to the stage there is a sense of impatient anticipation.



Heartbeat with its compelling rhythm and pace is a great opener. 158, and Steal Away follow to warm appreciation from the crowd. Joe, Sam and Adam have developed their live set to a tight, balanced performance and I notice those in the audience, who have been brought by their mates, who are already fans are nodding their agreement. Unfortunately Joe has been suffering from a sore throat and the vocal is not as strong as it has been when I’ve seen the band before, but what never fails to impress me about Blackbud is their instrumental skill and maturity.

I can’t help but compare Joe’s bluesy guitar style to Hendrix and Clapton; and yet that’s a bit of a cop out, because in fact Blackbud’s sound is all their own. The small stage at the Cavern gives the budding musicians in the audience the chance to examine techniques of the band at very close quarters, and I’m struck by the contribution of Sam’s drumming and backing vocal to support and underpin Joe and Adam’s musical duelling.


The band are clearly enjoying themselves as they open the familiar Sitting by the River, even though this number seems a bit lost on some members of the audience who seem distracted from the stage. But as they prepare to move on to start Forever, a member of the crowd bustles to the front to ask Joe what the last song was called. The band finishes the set with Barefoot Dancing.

I think Blackbud are a great guitar band, but unfortunately the maturity of their musical style is lost on some of the Cavern’s audience. It is clear from the DJ set that follows that the club crowd are after easy spiky, punky and poppy, song based music. Dates in America and Germany are on the horizon for Blackbud and I’m sure they will have no problem winning over these audiences if they’re coming to hear an inspired and original musicianship.

Set list:
Heartbeat
158
Steal Away
Switch
Goodbye Song
Days Passing Away
Sitting by the River
Forever
Barefoot Dancing

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.