Page 61 - Black Velvet Issue 95

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NOTHING MORE / IN SEARCH OF SUN / PSYCHO VILLAGE – BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE 3, 08.12.17
Nothing More last played the O2 Institute 3
two years ago, almost to the day. Following that
last show, the band went home to work on a new
album, ‘The Stories We Tell Ourselves’, which
was released in September 2017. Now they’re
back on the road, and back in Birmingham, in
support of the release, and now, with not one,
not two, but three Grammy nominations to their
name.
From Vienna, Austria, opening band Psycho
Village operate around singer and guitarist
Daniel Kremsner. His vision for the band is im-
pressive, with what looks like a projector screen
behind the members showing videos with song
lyrics on. You can sing along and know exactly
what Daniel is singing. Songs such as ‘It’s Okay’
and ‘Can’t You See’ are heartfelt, with substance
behind them. The videos draw you in and you’re
torn over whether to watch the band or watch the
video to read the lyrics, some being powerfully
deep. You sense that they have a lot in common
with Nothing More, despite a difference in sound.
Psycho Village have more of a melodic, radio-
friendly rock sound. Overall, the band are very
promising and we wouldn’t be surprised if they’re
gracing the airwaves in a few years’ time.
In Search Of Sun take the heaviness up a
notch. With their latest album, ‘Virgin Funk
Mother’, the five-piece incorporate a variety of
styles; metal, rock, a bit of funk… Songs such as
‘Bad Girl’ and ‘Idle Crown’ are intense musical
conglomerations with intricate guitar work and
escalating vocals. The guys definitely know how
to play their instruments, coming across as very
well-practiced.
If you didn’t know that Jonny Hawkins was
the frontman of Nothing More, you may wonder
who this crazy beast is, when Nothing More take
over. It is almost as if a spirit or some sort of
other being enters Jonny’s body as his perform-
ance on stage is almost like a demented animal.
He twists and turns like a maniac on the loose in
songs such as ‘Let ‘Em Burn’. It’s hard to take
your eyes off the shirtless frontman, although
you do so when the bass solo begins. Bassist
Daniel Oliver and guitarist Mark Vollelunga,
whose birthday it is, pound and play the bass
from opposing sides before Jonny uses sticks to
drum on its strings, and the three spin it around.
We’re glad this is still a part of the set as the
band have been doing it for a while but it never
gets old – and now new fans can get to see it
too.
The band do a shot for Mark’s birthday, while
there’s a scaled down version of the Scorpion
Tail possibly due to travel or venue logistics.
Jonny and Mark perform ‘Just Say When’ on
their own, with Mark sat on a stool. Jonny tells
the crowd that they almost didn’t put the song on
the album as he thought it was ‘too sappy’. New
songs such as single ‘Go To War’ and ‘Do You
Really Want It?’ go down well, ‘Go To War’ al-
most seeming like an army anthem, the audi-
ence being the troops. Jonny tells the audience
that the band don’t do encores, as going off
stage and returning is fake, so final number is
‘Salem (Burn The Witch)’, another wild and rabid
number, which sees the band all drum on their
own respective drums at the same time. As
Jonny mimics a gunman taking a shot, these
guys definitely hit their target and proved yet
again that the Nothing More show is a must-see.
YYYYY
Shari Black Velvet

Jonny Hawkins (Nothing More) Photo By Shari
Black Velvet

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