Kingsfoil/Nicotine Wisdom/Kolumbia
Bearcave, Bournemouth
Tonight at Bear Cave sees the final hurrah of local rockers Kingsfoil, going out with a bang to a near-full room of friends and fans alike. Opening for them are new kids on the block, Kolumbia. No prizes for guessing where that moniker came from, but I can report that no Oasis songs were covered in anger!
My first taste of these youngsters came at a recent Band Bash at Absolute Music, where their raw indie leanings earned them a runners-up result that was richly deserved. Tonight, I’m here to check whether they are one-trick ponies or the real deal – thankfully, they are the latter.
Kolumbia
With a combined age of just 60, this quartet open strongly with their tour de force, the wonderful I Want You. Their stagecraft and overall wall of sound (IMO) sits somewhere between early Ride, Teenage Fanclub and the early shoegaze stylings of Jesus and The Mary Chain. No pressure then…
They are deafeningly loud and the lyrics are somewhat undecipherable, but they have that pre-Baggy floppy fringe/post-gaze style down to a tee. Falling comes next as they ease into their set. Shine stays in the same vein, while Reach Out slows the tempo somewhat as we start to hear the vocal with more clarity.
They even boast a singing drummer, a rarity these days. Neil (drums) shows he is more than just a percussionist with his fine vocal tones on their only cover, Are You Gonna Go My Way. They end on a high with Interpol and hopefully gather one or two new fans.
My one observation would be to have the main vocalist centre stage and maybe trim the song lengths a tad, but for four lads in their GCSE year, it’s yours for the taking… ones to watch.
Up next are Nicotine Wisdom. Hailing from Hastings, this hard rock quartet breeze onto the stage with little fuss as more punters await them. Their sound, while heavy, does not distort the strong vocals on opener Darkest Hour. The drums are thunderous and their middle eights are a noodle-fest, but not unpleasant.
Nicotine
I must confess, I am no rock aficionado, but these guys rock hard. There’s a confidence in their stagecraft that one imagines has been honed on many a stage over the years. Devil (On My Shoulder) is more melodic and holds my interest, while Kicks kicks it up a notch (sic)!
The lead guitarist is the star performer here with his noodling and picking intricacies, but I would struggle to fault these guys – they have it all, in spades. Despite all their songs having sharp endings, Toxic Jealous Love is overlong (in a good way), with its huge finale, and they depart on a high with Heaven N’ Hell.
Nicotine Wisdom (IMO) could hold their own on any line-up, be it headline or otherwise, and while this isn’t a genre I love, one cannot dispute their talent.
And so to our headliners.
Despite a career spanning some seven years, this is my first (and last?) Kingsfoil gig – unless they reform further down the line…
Tim Somerfield (lead vocals/guitar) is no stranger to me – a mainstay of the Bournemouth rock scene – with Dan “Sully” Sullivan (drums), Mikey Ball (guitar) and Ant Culshaw (bass) complete the line-up.
The band open with Ten Foot Diamond Strong and set out their stall early. This ain’t some sad swansong – more a celebration of seven years and the joy it has brought the band (and fans). Tim cajoles the crowd throughout to get involved, slowly building the tempo.
Heartbreak Sugar drops the level down a notch with its heartfelt and moving lyrics. Karma Sea follows, as do the falsettos, noodling and everything else in between.
Winter Is Coming sees original drummer Alex Cope take to the stool, all the way from Prague, where he now resides. There’s more than a healthy dose of InMe in the vocal, which grabs my attention.
However, the lack of respect by some audience members during Colourblind really infuriates me – if you’re going to come to a show and just yap, then either go upstairs or stay at home!
As the crowd thins, they ironically pull out the big guns in their set. Penultimate song Whips and Chains is one of many standouts, and they depart on Flux. In true DIY spirit, they offer to sell all their remaining merch at cost price.
So, a fond farewell to a seasoned band whose candle burned brightly for nearly a decade. All of these musicians can be seen in the locality in one guise or another going forward, but tonight captured this great band for (possibly) the last time.
Setlists
Kolumbia
I Want You
Falling
Shine
Reach Out
Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz cover)
Interpol
Nicotine Wisdom
Darkest Hour
Devil
Gallows
Kicks
Battle Ground
Toxic Jealous Love
Heaven n’ Hell
Kingsfoil
Ten Foot Diamond Strong
Fearless
Heartbreak Sugar
Karma Sea
Winter is Coming
Good Love and Promises
The Groove
Colourblind
Physical
Warriors
Find Your Way
Whips and Chains
Flux
Links
https://www.kingsfoil.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/KingsfoilUK
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583233695779
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087254985290
Review and Media by Ross A. Ferrone
Inspiration from David “Chinners” Chinery! (who could not make it because of an injury)
