Confined to the dingy upstairs room of the Oxford O2, a crowd of about fifteen fans await Southern, who are due to headline the venue on their first proper UK tour.
The first group to support them are a three-piece consisting of two jolly looking folk, a rounded young man playing the acoustic guitar and a girl of a similar age on vocals. Completing the line-up is a lad on cajon who looks a bit like a Maths student. They strike up their first number to the virtually empty room, a two chorded affair with a tip tap percussion section for accompaniment and some slightly flat, whiney singing courtesy of said girl. Sounding (and looking) very much like a dire secondary school talent show performance, the trio – Cardboard Castles – joyously carry on, oblivious to the droney racket they’re producing.
The crowd are told to dance to (thankfully) the last song of the set, which is described as “one to move to”. The two audience members who take heed of this statement make huge fools of themselves as the evening begins to turn into a very embarrassing charity event at the village hall, but before too much damage is done, the happy three bring the song to its end. Cardboard Castle, who share an uncanny similarity with the look and sound of Rod, Jane and Freddy from the much loved 1970’s children’s television show Rainbow, leave us in peace.
The next act of the night is a Liverpudlian quintet called Lives, who begin their set with a full-bodied, delay infused attack that is immediately a league above the aforementioned band. Fronted by a charismatic late teen, the five-piece tear through a set which is at times reminiscent of early Bombay Bicycle Club, producing tight songs full of energy.
[quote]The Northern Irish outfit are sure to go far and I’ll bet they won’t be playing small, darkened venues in Oxford this time next year. [/quote]
As the venue fills up somewhat to a still meagre thirty odd, Thom and Lucy Southern, the ringleaders and brother-sister duo of the group start up ‘Shout It’, a blues-infused punchy song that couldn’t possibly be pigeonholed to one genre. An early Rolling Stones-like riff punctuates the song and hints of The White Stripes can too be heard. A groovy bassist adds a well-crafted line to ‘Shout It’ and completing the line-up is a man on drums of equal talent, who beefs the songs out with some excellent drumming.
The opening track is a crowd pleaser and one feels the need to clap longer and louder than is usually necessary just to make the room feel fuller. Thom Southern nervously addresses the audience with his soft Belfast accent, thanking us for turning out to see them and not seemingly perturbed by the lack of fans before him. He tells us that they’re not expecting to sell out arenas on their first tour as a headlining band, and are just grateful that some people bother to support up and coming acts like themselves.
After one or two new songs that share the same brilliantly structured power of ‘Shout It’, some beautiful blood harmonies are demonstrated and tasty guitar work is portrayed, Southern burst into ‘Where I Want To Be’, another instant hit that points to The Stone Roses on ‘Second Coming’ (Ian Brown can quite easily be imagined dancing around a stage in a psychedelic haze, maracas a shakin’).
Southern are one of few bands that actually succeed at being edgy yet melodic at the same time; certainly a rare gift for groups of this dreary day and age. The Northern Irish outfit are sure to go far and I’ll bet they won’t be playing small, darkened venues in Oxford this time next year.
Anna Hand
Image courtesy of Sea Sessions
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