Page 53 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine - Issue 100

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RIVER BECOMES OCEAN / MAVEN / YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY / JACK AND SALLY – LONDON 229, 30.01.19
There is a nice atmosphere in London’s 229 venue tonight. It is Becomes Ocean, hooking fans straightaway via the strong pop rock vo-
buzzing with students and busy working Londoners alike who want to cals from Dan Nash. ‘Just To Get By’ has enough riffs from guitarists
let off steam through in the form of sweaty rock ‘n’ roll. Newly-formed Joe Marshall and Rob Barlow to get feet tapping. ‘You Gave It All’ is def-
London alt. rock band Jack And Sally kick things off with some serious initely a showstopper with its intense intro and hardcore instrumental.
power chords, getting everyone into the spirit of things straightaway. Maven have a strong overall stage presence and dynamic range gaining
They have a great stage presence and move around quite a bit, making them a great reception from the crowd.
the crowd feel comfortable and less stiff during the first song. They play River Becomes Ocean manage to keep that buzz going with an in-
a nice mix of songs with some great lyrics about heartbreak and rebel- tense build up to ‘This Hell Is Heaven Sent’ which sees singer Marvin
lion. The song that stands out the most during their set is single ‘Tomor- McMahon running through the crowd onto the stage. This is the band’s
row’s Revolution’. It has catchy lyrics addressing the current uncertainty cue to get things rolling and they burst into song. By ‘Addicted’ the crowd
the world is facing, such as ‘born in a broken world on the streets of are in full swing and everyone is in high spirits filled with pop punk
yesterday’. They’re outspoken and make you think a bit more about the adrenaline. This song gets the band off their feet jumping in unison,
current issues the world is facing. The song ends on a great instrumental while the crowd go crazy singing their hearts out. ‘Silence Means Noth-
breakdown leaving us, and the crowd, wanting more. ing’ proves why these guys are getting so much love at the moment,
Following Jack and Sally is a humble performance from You Win with every member give it their all. Marvin steps it up a notch, screaming
Again Gravity. They bring an interesting mix of heavy instrumental and down the microphone ‘Falling down steal the stars from the sky, heav-
soft vocal. While they have a lot of energy, their lyrics aren’t that distin- ens break, heavens break’, while Danny Snow and Ben Bartup deliver
guishable and a lot of their songs sound similar. They seem to win the some impressive guitar solos. River Becomes Ocean round off the night
crowd over with their heavier riffs and bouts of screamo. ‘Seamless’ has with a bundle of energy, leaving the crowd restless and wanting more.
everyone’s head bopping with its heavy instrumental breakdown and a They will be back on the festival route this summer and have already
chanting/screamo vocal of ‘try not to care, you have a life to admire’ announced a slot at Camden Rocks. Keep your eyes peeled.
from singer Jack Jennings. YYY
Maven comes on third. The crowd has been well warmed up by now Becky Dorgan
and people edge closer to the stage. Their sound is quite similar to River Ben Bartup (River Becomes Ocean) Photo By Becky Dorgan

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