The Anvil, Bournemouth
Tonight at the Anvil in Bournemouth is “Empire’s” first night of a 16 date UK tour. The five piece Rock band formed in 2012 have so far released their debut EP “Birth” and a highly acclaimed album “Where the World Begins”. The band have spent their time on tours with the likes of Arcane Roots, Max Raptor and Skindred as well as a few notable festival appearances, gaining themselves a momentum that is slowly beginning to build.
The first support for tonight’s show is local band “Glimpse of Misfortune” who take the bull by the horns from the off with a powerful start. The twin guitars light up, laying down a wall of sound for front girl Ellen to deliver her unique vocals over. The blue haired Ellen in her ripped fishnet tights oozes youthful Punk attitude, while bringing a cavalcade of genres together to make a unique, original sound. This “apparently only” 16 year old sings with unexpected deep-throated growls along with more conventional vocals. With plenty of well-crafted original songs such as “Gaps In My Make Upî, “The Swan” and a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” the band keep the crowd well entertained right up until the end.
Next up are Alt/Rock band “Between the Void” who bring a much more mature sound to the Anvil. Tonight the band seem to have stepped up a level from previous performances, showing they have been clearly working hard in rehearsals. They bring some really creative guitar riffs which are undeniably Rock, with a few progressive twists and turns along the way. The four piece easily win over the crowd with great songs like ìInnuendo”, “Relax and “Prisoners Dilemma”. The two guitars played by John and Oli are well backed by a solid rhythm section of the animated Pippa on bass, with the dependable Marc behind the kit. The Anvil crowd show their appreciation be demanding an encore but sadly there is no time.
It was quite unclear if Empire were starting their set or just jamming on stage. They arrived causally with frontman Joe Green dressed in a woolly hat and parka. As things moved on it was clear that these guys were starting and as they began their opening number in full, many people hurried down the stairs from the upstairs bar to catch them. The place sadly was not full by any means but Empire did not care – this was the first night of their tour and they were out to impress everyone in the room. The band perform with a huge amount of energy and you cannot fail to be drawn in by their music with great songs like “Patchwork & Bone” and “Future Past & Present”.
Joe makes the most of the space and a long microphone lead and wanders amongst the audience, delivering his unbelievably brilliant vocals right into the faces of the more than welcoming audience. By now he has removed his coat and hat, revealing his long dreadlocks. The band are extremely tight and show just why anybody that sees them live are impressed, clearly living up to the hype of previous reviews. They end on a high with the excellent “Black Hearts”, leaving a clear memory of this great evening for everyone in the audience. On this performance alone these guys certainly won’t be playing venues this size for long, much bigger audiences beckon. They leave the stage to hit the bar as they have bass player Freddie’s birthday to celebrate……………
Set-List
Tom Price
All The Rage
Patchwork & Bone
Future, Past & Present
Monte Carlo/in Perfect Forever
My Colour Optimistic
Friendly Fools
Truth in Your Eyes
Zante
Wish Wish Wish
Scotland/Brighter Than The Sun
Black Hearts
Videos
Links
http://www.empireofficial.co.uk
http://www.betweenthevoid.com
https://www.facebook.com/GlimpseofMisfortune
Words, Pictures & Videos by Dave Chinery (Chinners)
