"Going to the 13th Note and going to drink Guinness…" There is nothing happier than a Bluesbunny on his way to the bar whilst pretending that he doing so as part of his job function. Helping the Bluesbunny hide his alcohol problem tonight are A-lix and Bayan.
We've got a cosmopolitan crowd in the 13th Note tonight and they are in for a treat. A-Lix take to the stage. This outfit consists of a guy, a girl and a shy drum machine hiding behind the pillar. Now, a question for you. Have you ever been plugged in to the mains? You know - a 240 volt electric shock kind of thing. The Bluesbunny ears were invigorated immediately this band started. That driving synthetic beat, those angry guitars and quasi theatrical vocals all mysteriously powered by some post punk energy source. A-Lix seem determined to plug the entire audience into their power feed as well with "Under the Sun" making the air positively crackle. Then there was "Ignition" and that absolute stormer came across like a deranged euro pop vengeance song. This duo gave a dynamic and charismatic performance tonight that made the Bluesbunny ears very happy.
Bayan take the stage next. In contrast to the manic energy of A-lix, Bayan are a slick and mannered act that - and we will use "Maya" as the perfect example" - mixed up European influences with what could only be described as a southern rock style groove. Maybe the best way to describe them is as Little Feat crossed with poetry and some of those unfiltered French cigarettes. There is class and style aplenty on show and the audience need little encouragement to get up close to them. Niccolo Giulianelli is tight on headroom in the cramped surroundings of the 13th Note. Nevertheless, he makes for an effective front man but it was Sean McDonald's playful guitar that stole the show for us. This band know their way around a melody too and you get the feeling that, fire regulations permitting, the audience would like to get their lighters out and wave them in the air. Very tasteful indeed.
The sound was below the standards we have become used to at the 13th Note but the bar service was well up to its usual excellent standard. The ups and downs of life! Bluesbunny shall make a sterling effort to track down both these bands at their future appearances. So should you.