COOL REKZ/YODA CLUB/PAUL J ROBERTS
Donkey: 7th September 2023
So another "first thursday of the month" so back to the Donkey for another Paul Collins promoted free gig... and another hugely enjoyable evening it was
Started off by a solo singer/songwriter, Paul J Roberts. An ideal set to start the evening, strong clear voice delivering a set of excellent songs... nothing pretentious here, just really good songs delivered with assurance and energy. I was particularly struck by the one about performing to a very small audience... so relevant these days!! Paul also made a fine job of a cover of a James song (i think either "give me a sign" or "pay me in kind"?) a song which i didnt know.
Next up was Yod Club, a local 4-piece playing a punchy set of Indie Rock (i hate narrowing things to genres because very little fits exactly to a genre, but that gives an idea!!). Very much a guitar led band, but i liked the presence of the keyboards which built a nice layer of texture under the music and a word of credit too for Rog who was rock solid and attacked his bass in a very positive and punchy way...
As a whole the band played really well with great energy and commitment, but having heard Karen (keyboards) do a bit of lead vocal it would be nice to feature her voice a bit more.
One minor criticism Barry (guitar/vocals) said he had had bad press for not mentioning the bands name... i'm sorry but to be honest i would have preferred that.
Overall the band played a fine set which went down well,, but sadly not really to my personal taste.
Closing the night was Cool Rekz, a three piece who, due to time constraints, delivered a short but punchy and very enjoyable set of predominently rock music... difficult to categorize due to the eclecticism in the band making them hard to pigeonhole. Concentrating on their own material, but pulling in a couple of well chosen covers, from Bowie (Jean Genie) and the Clash (Should I Stay or should i Go). Another band where the bass player attacked the bass with relish and laid a strong foundation... Really enjoyed the set and would like to see them again playing a longer set... see where else they would take it...
Hugely enjoyable evening in the company of 3 acts who, to be honest, i hadn't heard of before the night!!
Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venue
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