Live Review | Cory Wells Live At Rough Trade Bristol
Acoustic shows may not be the most traditional image when picturing your wild weekend out on the town, but for the people of Bristol, this show brought something truly special.
ONE MAN BOYCOTT
When planning your perfect Friday evening most gig goers most likely have visions of packed grassroots venues, lukewarm cans and crowdsurfing bodies covering the room in sweat. Whilst lacking in mosh pits and housing a much nicer beer selection, the first part was certainly true for Rough Trade Bristol as the city’s sad music enthusiasts began to que outside the record store doors.
‘I wasn’t going to bring it up, but I’m getting over being a bit sick‘ announces Joe Brewer as he steps up to the mic for his second song. The mind behind South West Pop Punk outfit One Man Boycott approached his set with just one man and an acoustic guitar to fit into theme with the evening, and despite some immune depleted vocal chords delivered an notable performance with highlights from start to finish. Originally released over five years ago the single ‘Sick Of It All‘ clearly remains a fond memory in the hearts of the city’s pop punk community, and opened the doors for the first sing along of the evening. An acoustic performance in a live setting brings a whole new side to Boycott, and places all of the emphasis on the lyrical delivery as Joe wears his heart on his sleeve with every word. ‘Fear of Failure‘ & ‘Ninety Nine‘ were greeted by approving nods, and humble on stage banter made the audience feel at ease as the room instantly started to fill.
Score: 8/10
YOUTH FOUNTAIN
Also playing without the usual backing of a full band and coming all the way from Vancouver B.C. Tyler Zanon took to the stage shortly after 8:30, and brought a tear jerking performance showcasing the best bits of the debut full length ‘Letters To Our Former Selves‘ in addition to ‘Keepsakes & Reminders‘. ‘Deadlocked‘ went down a storm, and a preview of an unreleased number entitled ‘Birthright‘ received some more than just some murmurs of appreciation. Applause erupted following the closing notes of ‘My Mental Health‘ and had Tyler chosen to extend his set, we firmly believe not a single soul would have complained. ‘Scavenger‘ slowed in pace considerably in comparison to the original, but when the vocals kicked in the opening phrase rings out all the clearer.
Overall acoustic Youth Fountain is without a doubt something we need plenty more of, although leaving acclaimed single ‘Bloom‘ out of the set felt like a terrible betrayal. There was a distinct sense of disappointment among the audience that the final song did not contain the well loved track’s opening notes, however the set still showcased the band at their most emotive – and gives all the more reason to catch them on their next run of shows across the pond.
Score: 8/10
CORY WELLS
There’s no other way to say it, Cory Wells brought the house down, and it was simply beautiful. The entire show buried itself somewhere deep in your chest, and an emotional rollercoaster changed course drastically from song to song over the course of the next 45 minutes. Third in the setlist ‘End Of A Good Thing’ barely scratched the surface. What you could argue to be the artist’s most popular song, and it barely even made a dent in the rest of the performance. Listening to Cory in a live setting brings a whole new layer to the songwriting compared to on the record. ‘Broken’ & a brand new number ‘Hopeless‘ were definite crowd pleasers with the voices of the audience never silent, singing along to words they knew and quickly picking up the ones they didn’t. Throughout the show the screams are perfectly executed and applied at just the right time cutting through the room smoothly and in total contrast to the personality talking with the crowd between songs. It was clear that all three artists throughout the evening were extremely grateful to be there, and even more rewarding to see just how pleased Cory was to be sharing the road with his touring partner.
Towards the end of the proceedings ‘Walk Away’ came through as an old favourite, and ‘Breathe Again‘ brought a chorus that had the whole room in response – but it was the final two stops on the setlist that brought the show to a peak. The penultimate track ‘Harbor‘ was an emotional masterpiece, and felt like it connected every single attendee with its creator there and then. There was a few seconds in limbo following the last chord, allowing one of those rare moments for the entire venue to process what had just happened before the cheers broke the silence.
It’s a rare thing with any show whereby a whole room is completely enthralled throughout the entire gig from start to finish. Normally there’s always some drunken banter in the crowd, a mobile phone ringing, something to break the scene and remind you that the outside world still exists. This particular night was a prime example of one of these shows, and all three of the artists took an active role in promoting a positive community spirit among every single face in the building.
Score: 10/10