The Drawing Room was the perfect setting for Soul Vibe Band, an eight person musical collective who gathered under the constantly extending and retracting awnings (the rain was on and off all day) to fill this cosy, eclectic outdoor space with their infectious soul-funk sound.
They opened with five original songs: Piece of Mind; Sweet Embrace; Rest in Peace; Unsteady; and Don't Get Me Wrong. All of them sounded professional and convincing, like they could have been long standing songs within their genre's back catalogue. My favourite was the bossa nova Unsteady which offered an opportunity for the band to play around with a mellower, jazzier vibe.
Next came a relentless list of popular soul-funk bangers from Luther Vandross' Never Too Much to Just The Two Of Us and Lovely Day. What lifted these choices above the quotidian was the inventive way they played with and reinterpreted them. Amy Winehouse's Back to Black was mashed with George Michael's I'm Never Gonna Dance Again, all to a thumping reggae beat. Good Times was morphed into a blink-and-you-miss-it medley of classics including Another One Bites The Dust, We Are Family, Le Freak and Uptown Funk. The band were so hot the occasional showers proved to be essential respite to cool the Chesham crowd back down. The encore (Ain't Nobody) was demanded with such immediate roars of delight that there was no doubt about how much everybody had enjoyed the set.
If you're looking to book a band to play your party, wedding or event, you'd be more than confident in selecting this professional crew. With their thumping rhythm section, amazing vocalists and stand out saxophonist, you'd be guaranteed to fill the dance floor. But me? I can't wait for their first album. With such sincere and polished original material, it surely can't be too far away.
No comments:
Post a Comment