Demons of Ruby Mae / LiVVO / Matt Fryers – The Castle Hotel, Manchester – 14/8/15
The Castle Hotel in Manchester had the honour of hosting three class acts tonight for what was to be another outstanding showcase of underground music. Headlined by Demons of Ruby Mae, the supporting cast was made up of LiVVO and Matt Fryers, three of the stand out performers at The Blackthorn Festival only a few weeks earlier.
Matt Fryers was first up, starting his set to only a handful of people, but ending to a significant increase as the show went on. He sits down, guitar in tow, wearing a hat to cover up his usual Mohican hairstyle, which proved to be the only difference to any other performance in yet another scintillating display. A run of songs including new tracks, ‘Last Words’ and ‘Wasteland’ were performed to the usual highest quality. Some newer ones appeared on the set that Matt hasn’t played in a while, which were predictably delivered with all the passion and emotion expected of this gifted individual. A cover of ‘John the Revelator’, taken from hit US show, ‘Sons of Anarchy’, was sublimely executed, now becoming a regular occurrence in his set these days due to popular demand!
Massive Attack’s, ‘Teardrop’, a cover I hadn’t heard him play previously was a surprise inclusion and was one requested by Demons of Ruby Mae after they’d heard an earlier live rendition. Wow is all I can say as the reimagining of a classically haunting track had new levels of depth thrown beneath it!
I’m running out of superlatives to describe Matt after yet another mind blowing viewing filled with raw vocals that leaves any audience mesmerised. The EP he’s working on can’t come soon enough, but until then, here’s his SoundCloud to enjoy in the meantime.
Singer/Song Writer, LiVVO (David Liversidge), is up next, hailing from Lincolnshire but now living in Manchester, and playing under this new alias, which by all accounts differs from his past work. Not being familiar with his catalogue I can’t comment, but his new material is gripping to the core. Possessing an eighties feel to his sound, high octave vocals and emotional lyrics, LiVVO is like a one man power ballad with an echo like electro/acoustic guitar that oozes atmospheric expressiveness. A pre-programmed drum machine provides unquenchable rhythm, and the whole blend makes for an engrossing sound that you cannot help but love. Think of your favourite coming of age eighties film and LiVVO could soundtrack the whole movie such is his lyrical prowess and sharp guitar riffs that can highlight any mood or emotion in any scene.
LiVVO is fascinating to watch onstage, mixing an impressively choreographed array of footwork on the pedals to regularly change the guitar’s sound at regular intervals, with a passionate and energised showing that spills over into the audience. You can download his single, ‘You’ from iTunes or listen on SoundCloud.
The final band, who’ve landed in Manchester from their native Leicester, are Demons of Ruby Mae, a multi-instrumentalist duo creating atmospheric music that’s unique, powerful and poignant. Made up of Johnny Gavin and Adam Rowley, their imposing performance was filled with piercing, heart rendering vocals of the highest calibre, and instruments that were played in a way that was the perfect example of the notion, “less is more.” Between the two artists there is a guitar, drum kit, and a keyboard linked to a laptop, all of which integrates to create this haunting and effective musical tonic.
They both play and switch instruments throughout the set, even switching vocals at one point, but Johnny is the main singer, and Adam is the whizz on the keys. Their craft is layered with meticulous guitar, played and plucked at the most precise moments to generate the full effect of their wistful sound and lyrics, invoking deep thought which cuts deep into the soul.
‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’ was very impressive with stirring keyboard arrangements and a profound vocal that spoke directly to the subconscious. ‘Beneath the Surface’ is another highlight with an ambient and evocative tone layered by soft, spacey atmospherics. They even managed to turn Madonna’s pop song, ‘Hung Up’, into a moving and meaningful piece of music, being slower with more emotion to the vocals.
It became apparent during the set that their sound had the mystical ability to whisk you on a journey away from your own thoughts, carrying you to spiritual realms never entered before. I can imagine for any passionate fan of art, this is the sort of music that enhances the whole experience of studying a masterpiece, discovering the hidden meaning behind the ingenious mind of the portrayer.
The duo gave out free singles of ‘Beneath The Surface’ at the end, but on this evidence, their EP of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’, to be released on the `11th September, will need no such generosity, surely being snapped up instantly by all who’ve heard their truly spectacular sound, which you can hear of here.
After the success of last week’s gig consisting of trio; Gold Jacks, Twisted Dolls and Purple Merlin, here was another trio of prominence within a different genre, continuing to show the muscle behind underground music today…….bring on the next live trio!
About the Author
Nigel Cartner Nigel's immense passion for music, broadcasting and writing is what drives him along through this strange and surreal world!
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