LIVE: Shrimp Eyes w/ Callum & The Pookies & Alfresco Love Sounds @ The Sunflower Lounge
Birmingham is a city of culture and has a bustling live music scene; travelling from Cardiff to this wonderful city was made worth it when seeing three excellent bands including Shrimp Eyes are the epitome of what makes it full of life. On Friday night, Birmingham truly blossomed in the intimate and charming Sunflower Lounge, for the bands first date of their 'Wondering EP Tour'. The atmosphere was enigmatic, with fans excited and ready for a night of perfect indie pop sounds.
The event was curated by Yampy Promotions who host regular events across the city and have been doing so since last year. This was the perfect setting for the night and an iconic venue.
Kicking off the evening’s event with a electrifying performance were a Birmingham based band called Alfresco Love Sounds who captured the crowds attention instantly. A mesmerising set packed full of powerful soft-rock tunes drenched in nostalgia, their performance was a highlight for everyone who came to support. The band delivered a cinematic experience, featuring punchy instrumentals which accompanied the pure vocal tones which left the crowd dancing. The band had a set which was cutting, beautiful, and downright authentic, surely winning over new fans along the way including myself. My first time seeing the and hearing about the band, but I have to say that they are ones to watch for the future with a sound impossible to ignore and rousing storytelling.
Next to the small but iconic stage with a high energy set were Callum & The Pookies. A relatively new band on the scene but a six-piece prepared with a catalog of punchy, well-crafted songs, their performance was one that kept your attention. Vocals were entirely on point and breathtaking with the full band who provided a unique experience, featuring crafted songs which had some great country and rock tones which left the entire crowd invested. Their set was personal, fun, and fully electric, making a name for themselves with a new crowd. Ones to look out for over the next couple of years and a band I would highly recommend seeing live from nearby Telford.
Approaching the later stages of the evening and it was time for the awaited headline act and the band absolutely delivered. This is my third time seeing them and in a third different intimate venue and I have to say it was one of the best sounding gigs thanks to the variety of instrumentals and creativity. It all kicked off with ‘Fits and starts’ which was released just over three years ago, this was one of the first songs that instantly made me fall in love with this band. A wonderful set packed with 13 standout songs which are all glorious. Highlights included 'Side Quest’, their songs off their latest EP ‘Rumour’ and a beautiful rendition of ‘Birds’. Every track was performed effortlessly live including a collection of the songs back when they first started.
The band have massive things on the horizon and deserve to be bigger. This latest EP is proof that this band have worked incredibly hard to master their craft and is their strongest piece of work to date which is a masterpiece which sounds even more glorious live. The band have such talented musicans across the board which compliments Leila's beautiful vocals with their interactive and immersive live sets. Every time they perform it is always phenomenal.
Their ability to blend genres and use unique instruments is a delight and adds to the authenticity of the band. It was a joy to watch in such an iconic intimate venue with many fans in attendance at a night which was full of talent.
You can catch 'Shrimp Eyes' at their next tour date in London on the 5th of December.
