The Windmill Inn | GIGglepics

Ashes EP Launch – The Windmill Inn – Ashford – 23.05.13

Ashes
Jesus Fix
Sirens & Shelter

Thursday 23rd May saw the Ashford EP Launch from Ashes at The Windmill Inn, a pub that has live music gigs every week. Having covered their Folkestone launch, this was an evening I was really looking forward to, although not sure what I was expecting. The previous launch was filled with onesies, pirates and river dancing, so from previous experience, anything could have happened. What did in fact happen, was your more normal regular type gig but this didn’t detract at all from the quality.

Sirens & Shelter – Acoustic/Folk/Pop Singer & Songwriter from North Kent with a bit of a difference. Scott Mallard plays an entirely acoustic set but with a sound that at times, is as full and loud as a band. The songs could easily be produced with a full band but equally work just as well in acoustic form. Such is the fullness you would be forgiven for thinking that it is not merely Scott and a guitar standing on stage. I found his style extremely passionate and energetic, not always what you expect from an acoustic act. The lyrics to his songs are heartfelt and emotional, feeling like they are being sung from deep down within his soul. This is extremely endearing and alluring. His voice has a raw and rough sort of edge to it, which sounds vulnerable and pure at times in its presentation. Scott has just recorded a new EP which is in its mastering stage at the moment, I for one will be really keen to give this a listen. His current EP and the material performed on stage has some contrast to it, but that unique voice is very evident throughout. I highly recommend you get along to see him perform, its an acoustic act that blends well in style with a band night or an acoustic night. That’s not something you hear or see very often.

Sirens & Shelter

Jesus Fix – A Gothic Rock/Metal/Punk trio hailing from Whitstable – Kent, with influences from the likes of Motorhead and Sisters of Mercy. For me the stand outs in this band were the guitarist, John and drummer, Chris. Energetic and pounding drumming, yet Chris never once broke into a sweat. He appeared so laid back it was impossible to associate the sound with the visual. This band is what it says, however the sound quality was poor and did not showcase them to their best. They seem to cause a real divide in the audience, as I found from wandering around and talking to people. Some absolutely love them and others do not, there seems to be no middle ground here with this band. What was a common denominator with all however, was that the sound quality was off, the levels were completely out. The sound engineer was placed off to the side, the pub they performed in was long and narrow, with the audience directly in front. A real shame as it’s hard to judge and review a band when they are not being showcased to their best, I can only go by what I see and hear in front of me on the night. I would also say that their set sounds a little samey to me. Once you’ve heard a couple of tracks, it feels like you’ve heard them all. A lot of people loved them though and this is only my own personal opinion. At the end of the day, that’s what a review is. I’d be interested in hearing them again with a decent sound check and correct levels to see if my opinion was still the same. If you like your gothic rock however, talking to people in the crowd, these are a band to go and watch.

Jesus Fix

Ashes – A 3 piece hard rock band from around the Ashford area with their own brand of rock. Having reviewed them in-depth at their Folkestone launch I won’t go over old ground too much. I would highly recommend you read that review, as well as informative, it is also highly entertaining (link to Ashes EP Launch (Stand Up) – Googies Art Cafe – Folkestone – 04.05.13). This is a brand of rock I like a lot and on my second time seeing them, I still stand by my opinion that they sound better live than recorded. Don’t get me wrong, they sound great recorded, but better live and I’m not entirely sure why that is. I’ve still not put my finger on it. They take what they do very seriously, while still managing to have fun. That radiates from the stage, making them extremely appealing to watch. Extremely talented musicians with a unique sound, which makes them stand out from the crowd, so to speak. A more sombre affair at this gig, with no onesie clad, morph suited or cutlass baring pirates to be seen. There was however still the same exceptional standard and sound from the band. I did wonder whether this would be the case if I’m honest. The previous launch was in an extremely small venue and with their only being 3 of them, I wondered if the sound would be so full and rich this time around. I can assure you it was and they manage to create what would normally take a band with 2 guitarists to do . Highly recommend you get along to a gig and see them live, they never fail to impress!