Kicking off the night’s proceedings were Blind Girls. They were certainly interesting, bringing heaviness to the night. This isn’t my area of expertise (I question if I have one in the first place), but I got some post-rock/ black metal vibes from them. Their technical proficiency was impressive, as were the numerous metre changes. For a set of young looking dudes they were exceptional, exuding boundless energy.

Up next were Nice Biscuit. They produced some dulcet psych-pop that pleased the crowd. The vocals reminded me of Fleetwood Mac, while the instrumentals sounded like Connan Mockasin or Mac Demarco. Laidback and smooth, guitars awash in reverb, chorus and wah-wah. Overall they had a good sound, feel and stage presence but at points it got a bit sonically oversaturated (they’re a seven-people-strong unit). It will be interesting to see how they develop overtime, as the nascent group has a good foundation. 

Headliner Majella started with flare, the singer/front man ripping out some mad falsetto from the get-go. Their sound was unlike what preceded them, comprising computerised beats, cleanly choppy guitars and funky bass. Their execution was tight. If they had tightened up any further they’d give Archie Bell a run for his money. After their particularly funky second track the lead singer started throwing free lube into the audience, not that anyone needed it ;) – the music was enough. 

They proceeded to play On & On, their current single, which got the crowd dancing. This was followed by a downtempo number, apparently for the ladies. This was followed by another two slow-burners, both funky, reminding me of a stripped back Maxwell. 

They continued with another particularly sultry groove, which I presume is called ‘Alright’. After a slight/barely perceptible tempo increase, the vocalist took a step back and let the lead guitarist and bassist jam. This instrumental passage was exceptional, with the guitarist laying down some great jazzy melodies accompanied by bass harmonics.

Reflecting the zeitgeist, they performed a tribute to the Purple One, performing a stripped down version of When Doves Cry. Another song dedicated to a specific lady in the audience saw the bassist pick up acoustic guitar – he’s certainly a man of many talents. They closed the night with a self-proclaimed banger. It was perhaps their most bombastic track, yet a slice of rugged funk with a sawing mono-synth which had people getting down.

- Hill Folk