Reb Fountain is playing for the first time in London, and the venue they are in, The KOKO, is a stunning setting for this debut.
The stage is set, awaiting the band with an air of expectance, with lights dazzling off the walls and ceiling and smoke giving it atmosphere.
It appears they are running slightly late as shadowy figures shuffle across the stage to take position 15 minutes after the scheduled time and the crowd murmurs its approval to the start of the proceedings.
As the lights go up we are treated to a view of a thick-haired female-fronted crew, with Reb herself situated behind a keyboard, a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. Having only read the name and deliberately not listened beforehand the fact that it is a band and not an individual is a fun thing to discover.
Not having checked out the band before the next pleasant surprise was the tone of the vocalist’s voice, a pleasure to listen to and really suited for the Gothic Rock Opera vibes I am getting from the first song.
It is evident from both the name of the band and the focus on stage that this is a sound and image based around the vision of the aforementioned Reb, but ultimately helped immensely by the musical talents of the band, especially the multi-instrumentalist to her right, who moves from guitar to keyboard to violin and many things in between to make the haunting soundscape for her vocals to play across.
Strong Kate Bush vibes are coming from the stage, and the music would be perfect for any self-respecting drama series that needs something a little witchy or mystical on the score.
After a few songs, it is apparent that the music never really picks up beyond a few beats a minute, but that’s not a bad thing as judging by the sort of people in the (decent-sized) crowd tonight they aren’t expecting it to get frantic, but they are enjoying it and show their appreciation between songs, even if it isn’t really something to dance to.
Worth checking out if you are a fan of Kate Bush and atmospheric music, and with their first headline show in London soon these could be ones to watch out for in their particular genre.
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