Greg Tisdall pulled out all of the stops for a whopper show with six bands at The Racket Space on Friday. An industrial, concrete basement under the Bernard Shaw, it is a venue that at first glance lends itself more to a techno night than the shoegazey dream-pop filled line-up recruited for the night, but which came into its own with each act bringing a unique flair.
Beginning the evening with an old school influence was five-piece ensemble Old Sport. Livening the basement space with vintage gear and a modern-classic sound, the band brought the funk and groove with a tight set and cohesive style.
Taking down the tone to create a dream-pop soundscape was david ofmg. Sans his usual band and with only a laptop in tow, he entertained the crowd, describing the set-up as ‘the weirdest karaoke I’ve ever done, and I’ve been to that one in the basement under the Japanese restaurant’ (Izakaya for those in the know). Playing songs from his debut EP ‘for what it’s worth’, a Frank Ocean cover and his latest self-reflective, emotionally wrought release ‘early in the afternoon’, David held a captive audience, even encouraging a dance break mid-set.
In a moment of need due to last minute sickness, members of various scheduled acts took to the stage to fill in with a funky mash-up improvised interlude. Soulful jazz emitted through The Racket Space with Tisdall stepping in to lay down some bars alongside the freshly assembled five-piece.
Seven-piece groove-rock inspired and he, the fool followed on to the stage and elevated the night with gorgeous harmonies, a trumpet and clarinet accompaniment and a theatrical stage presence. With a captivating richness, front woman Kate Gurren showed up with feminine rage for a performance of the yet unreleased ‘Little Women’. The group pulled off a cohesive performance on a small stage and will be releasing their next single on March 25th.
Taking a break from ensuring that the night was running smoothly, Greg Tisdall played a set of emotive and dance-inducing tunes, opening with his latest single ‘it don’t make sense to me’. Commanding the room, dancing amongst the crowd and filling the space with an indie-hip-hop fusion, Tisdall and his band were a stand-out of the evening.
Closing out the night, lowkick carted a table and DJ deck onto the stage to bring their jazz infused hip-hop sound to The Racket Space, keeping the crowd on their feet. A night of colour, range and a well managed technical difficulty or two, Tisdall put his all into bringing new voices to the stage of The Racket Space, curating a vibrant and musically diverse night.