Page 47 - Black Velvet Issue 101

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AT THE SUN / HELL’S ADDICTION / RAVENBREED - LONDON THE BLACK HEART, 12.04.19
A lot can change in the space of a year and a half and AT THE SUN's EP and some of the highlights of the LP and the familiar material goes
hometown headline show at The Black Heart in Camden is a testimony to down a storm with their audience. It doesn't take long to identify the depths
that. In September 2017, this quintet stepped onto this same stage as an of talent the five-piece have, singer Harry Dale and rhythm guitarist Kieron
opening band and when they did so there were almost as many people Heavens ooze supreme confidence and swagger, lead guitarist Chet Jogia
on the stage as those on the floor looking up at them. Fast forward to April is simply amazing and can make sounds from his instrument you rarely
2019 and, with debut album 'Leave Before The Light' drawing well de- hear elsewhere and during songs like 'Walk On Over' and 'Devil In Your
served, rave reviews they step on stage in front of not only a sold out au- Eyes' his strings genuinely drip with sex appeal of the filthiest kind while
dience but one which they have in the palm of their hand and baying for drummer Craig Steen and bassist Alex Matthews look throughout the 60-
the next show by the night's end. minute performance like they are just having the times of their lives. They
Getting the ball rolling are Ravenbreed and Hell's Addiction, who do use their time wisely and are able to squeeze in every track from their
a fine job of getting the ever warm and sticky Black Heart even hotter. killer debut album while also finding time to treat everyone to their cover
Both bring a heavier dose of rock ‘n’ roll to the evening than their headlin- of Rag'n'Bone Man's 'Human' which is a brilliant interpretation of the song
ers but both are melodic enough to go down well with their audience and and well worth checking out. It also gives Alex a chance to shine on his
it’s safe to say numerous new fans are won during the course of their sets. bass while the slower pace allows Harry to fully showcase his vocal ability
Welsh-based Ravenbreed cannot help but raise eyebrows with their re- which has the potential to spearhead the band to far bigger things in the
cently introduced transgender singer Zoey Emelia Allen who only an- future.
nounced her change at the start of the year but, despite this, there is no The cover song marks the start of a spellbinding second half to the
misstep from the band which bodes very well for their future and you can't show with songs like 'Bite Your Tongue' and 'Lay It On Me' being among
shake the feeling songs like 'Insult' and 'Lonely' have all the more oomph the best performances of the show, fuelled by the now rabid crowd who
now we know more about Zoey. are driving AT THE SUN to greatness on the night and when things are
Hell's Addiction are a little more straightforward and they put plenty slowed down for 'Indestructible' it only gives the track all the more power
of confidence in their new EP 'V1.0' with all four songs featured during and significance. The celebratory 'Raise Your Glass' may have been the
their longer 45-minute stint including the more stripped back 'If Time Stood ideal way to conclude things but instead the band choose to do so with
Still', which is dedicated to a lost friend of the band and is arguably the 'Soak it Up' and with both the band and audience eager to soak up every
highlight of the support slots where vocalist Ben Sargent shows a very last minute of this monumental night it's also perhaps a fitting choice, as
different side to his abilities. It's a welcome move and something their in years to come this could well be looked back upon as a turning point
shows would likely benefit more from moving forward alongside their for another of the UK rock scene’s bright hopes for the future.
trademark heavier songs. YYYYY
But as good as the opening acts are there is no denying who the stars Michael Coventry
of the show are this evening and this is reflected by just how much fuller
the room gets when AT THE SUN step out to a hero’s reception and it's Harry Dale (At The Sun) Photo By Duncan Tyler
rewarded with a kick-ass opener of 'Breathe', the title track of their debut

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