This love affair only started a few weeks ago when they played the Alexandra Tavern just down the road and went through a rough patch a couple of weeks later when they pulled out of another local gig (blaming the snow) but more than recovered when they played the following week at The Berry in Berrylands.
Berrylands is a nondescript part of Surbiton occupying the enviable position between the main line to Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth and the A3 to Portsmouth. It has its own railway station, that only the most local of services stop at, which has a few shops clustered around it. And a pub.
The Berry (formerly The Berrylands) is much better suited to bands than the Alexandra. The latter is long and thin which traps the band and their music at one end whereas The Berry is refreshingly wide allowing the music to run riot throughout the pub.
It's also conveniently situated next to the bus stop where the K2 links you to Kingston town centre.
This time I had the presence of mind to make a note of the songs as they played them
but while I am unable to do a direct comparison between the two sets it is clear that they were very similar and they may even have been the same. No problem there, it's a great set.
But great songs are not enough, you need a decent band too and Echoes are more than that.
From the opening blast of In The Flesh the rich sound pounds, probes, prods and pulsates filling the room and drawing you in to the unfolding story. This is not a band that plays quietly in the corner while the punters chat over their drinks.
The richness, warmth and depth of the music comes from having five, sometimes six, musicians and just a few tapes to provide the special effects that help to define the Pink Floyd sound.
A few weeks ago I had not heard of Echoes but now I'm determined to see them as often as possible. Next time should be the Fox on Duck on 25 March, as long as the snow has gone by then!
Hi Matthew - thanks for your positive comments, and I'm very happy that you liked us enough the first time 'round to want to check us out again! I enjoyed the gig we played at The Berry, right up to the point where my amp decided it didn't want to play anymore and took its football home. I had to play the final one-and-a-half songs of our set by going through the PA system. It worked OK-ish, but was far from ideal,but I am working on a solution for when/if - actually 'when'- my amp packs up again.We in the band know that we dont look anything like Floyd, and that makes it doubly important that we SOUND as close to them as possible, and we are always looking to make improvements.I always feel cheated when I go to see a trib' and they've obviously made very little attempt to sound like the band they claim to be a tribute to; I will not do that to you lot! Finally - I was really gutted that we had to cancel the Fox and Duck gig but I was trapped (or rather,my car was trapped)in the front garden for a week. I couldn't work,couldn't go food shopping, couldn't see mates.But pulling the gig hurt the most; I had a great time when I was last there and was really looking forward to going back.
ReplyDeleteI'll shut up now.Thanks again, and hope to see you the next time we're in your manor.Cheers! Lee ( guitar ).