Volume Control: Not Squares, Go Wolf, Freak’s & Rebekah Wilson
Thursday 18th December 2014 – Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast
This is one of those evenings on a night in Belfast where someone can easily be filled with a certain level of self-doubt. Self-doubt brought on by the fact that there are so many local big hitters playing throughout the city this evening that it is possible that you are going to miss something wonderful. Thankfully with a line up like the one at Volume Control’s monthly show at the Oh Yeah Centre this evening the self-doubt swiftly lifted.
First on the bill was Rebekah Wilson, a girl with only a few shows under her belt but stands on the stage on her own looking like she is ready to take on anything. Her guitar driven ballads coupled with warm, heartfelt vocals have an incredibly endearing charm about them. She has found a distinctive mix between an expressive acoustic artist, and adding a hint of pop-punk flare, makes the sound her own. And although towards the end of the set there was a hint of nervousness, this did nothing to deter her from delivering a strong performance all round.
Next on the bill was Freak’s, the incredibly energetic band form Strabane. Before they strum a single note you can tell that this band are brimming with vigour ready to have the crowd’s attention, and they do. They use intriguing melodies, along with some solid drumming to produce an incredibly crowd pleasing set. For a band to have only formed in 2013 it is quite the achievement to have so many people singing along to your songs, highlighted by the catchy chorus of ‘Number One.’
Moving on from Freak’s we have easily one of the tightest groups in the form of GO WOLF. A blend of percussion and synth drums give this band a rock solid sound, and along with the synth keys provided by Hannah McPhillimy, adds a much richer feel to each of the songs. All these elements, including some quite technical bass brings many of the already interested crowd to the very front of the venue. This is a group that will have your unbridled focus and nothing else will do.
Our final act on the bill the evening starts with a giant circle forming among the crowd just as the music begins to play. But no moshing begins as the scene may suggest, because the people are here to see Not Squares and they know they will get nothing other than pure synth driven beats. An infusion of vocoders, an array of synthesisers and live drums has nearly every single person in the building raising their hands and clapping. There are screams and jumping up and down, which is exactly what this group was here to produce. They weave chunky beats and electro pop with all the gusto they can muster on stage, and without a shadow of a doubt they do not disappoint.
[fbalbum url=”https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.724125837683343.1073741886.104193249676608&type=1″]
