Clare Kelly, The Lost Hours and Sofia Wolfson @ Oporto, Leeds
Hello and welcome, now that the dreaded hangover has subsided it’s time to review the gig I attended last night. It all started the week before, when I’d had a few beers and decided for one reason or another to play ‘buy a random gig ticket online’, something which I’ve not done before, not with artists that me and my pals have never heard of, but either way, it happened. So, here’s my thoughts from the night that was:
Clare Kelly
Was up first and immediately caught the eye in a silver velvet blazer and trousers, which all made sense once the social media names were mentioned by Clare, all of which ending with mermaid. Clare’s songs were very much centered around her time travelling, leaving glorious Yorkshire and seeing the world. You get the feeling that Clare met some interesting characters whilst on the global trail, none more so than the fella that she was seeing in Australia who she gloriously described as a ‘twat’. I enjoyed Clare’s performance, drawn into the lyrics describing her experiences whilst exploring the world. A top opening act which I’d happily see again setting the tone for the evening ahead.
The Lost Hours
Were up next, my immediate impression was here comes another band of 4 lads that were going to be rough around the edges playing arctic monkeys covers… how wrong was I, although I couldn’t see past the lead singer and drummer being spitting images of George Ezra and James Acaster respectively. They had a refreshing sound which was far from rough around the edges, they played a new single which was released today called shiver and shake, a song which has a smooth flow accompanied with the lead vocals having a soulful 80’s tone. There was a golden moment when the lead singer with a jokeful intro played a song by himself whilst his bandmates just stood around not knowing where to look, I’d say the perfect opportunity for a bevvy break, I wouldn’t be complaining. I liked these a lot, the perfect listen on a hangover which just so happens to be exactly what I’m doing right this moment.
Sofia Wolfson
Rounded up the evening, the main event, the grand finale. All the way from sunny Los Angeles. As Sofia introduced herself she explained that this was her first gig outside of London, where better to start than Gods own county! Not having heard much of Sofia prior to the evening I was immediately drawn into her story of someone taking the leap of faith and chasing their dreams. Sofia’s songs very much have the Taylor Swift vibe of life experiences being told through her lyrics, except Sofia has talent which makes them far more enjoyable. Party Favors is the song that stuck out most to me, an upbeat tune that you can’t help but bang on repeat, a rather catchy number that helped lift you from the gloomy overtones surrounding Sofia’s other songs. The intimate nature added to the set as Sofia kept the minimalist crowd encapsulated, so much so that when trying to engage the Yorkshire mob with questions such as ‘any feedback?’ a silence decorated the room before an awkward chuckle, a stereotypical example of American confidence and British awkwardness. Sofia finished the set with an unfinished song, not that you’d be able to tell as it was seamless, a fitting finale to the gig and perfectly summed Sofia up – daring and unfinished.
All in all, for a 7 quid gig in a rough around the edges bar on one of Leeds’ many city streets, I got more than what I paid for, a new found love for up and coming music – so what ya waiting for? Get online and blindly purchase a gig ticket and find out for yourself, you won’t regret it. Well, you might but fuck it, you can always get pissed after…..