- by Ryan Nebauer, photos by Ryan and Rachel Tinney

The sight of a well dressed band on stage always makes me curious as to whether they are dressed to make up for a lack in musical talent or simply because they are great at what they do and want to put on something to match. Opening the night at the Zoo, the multi-instrumental six-piece Cascadeer soon prove they have the song writing skills to bother dressing up for. The ambient, and sometimes eerie, folk music they play suits the slowly filling venue well but it’s hard to keep interested due to their lack of stage presence, confidence and any sense of invitation.

What now seems quite the contrast, Bang Bang Boss Kelly explode into their set with hard-hitting songs that force all attention to be thrown their way. Belting out husky, rock-driven country songs from their debut self-titled EP, they perform crowd pleasers including Boneyards and the very catchy Lonerider. Front man Alex Henriksson stops mid-set, stating his appreciation to the quickly expanding crowd and then continues into a slow ballad to show the band aren’t just a few tattooed rednecks who know how to yell with great force. They finish their set showcasing new material that engages the crowd with their energetic performance and consequently earns them the high decibel applause they deserve.

Charlie Mayfair ease into their show with three soft, gracious pop tunes, including If I Fell Down, that demonstrate their beautiful voices and the harmonies they can nail. Halfway through, they step off stage and into the crowd to enlighten with an unplugged song but as the venue is now sold out (and filled mostly with intoxicated young girls who can’t stop screaming), this intimate performance fails to have any great effect. Returning to the stage, they pull out a fun version of Architecture In Helsinki’s Heart It Races that gets the audience singing their hearts out. Heartstrings are pulled as the band emotionally swing into latest single Tell Her, with leading vocalist Hannah Shepherd dedicating the song to her mum. Based on the reception of this song alone, Charlie Mayfair look set to have a very promising future. Closing the night, they kick into the extremely rhythmic driven number Bluewater, which is somewhat reminiscent of the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Fleshed out with three extra guys, four extra floor toms and some sleigh bells, smiles of excitement are shared on stage before it becomes too much and they are soon bouncing around the stage unable to contain themselves any longer. And as the sounds of an enthusiastically hit cowbell and multiple “HEY!”s die away, you know Charlie Mayfair are always going to be excellent guarantee of entertainment for music lovers of all shapes and sizes.