Band Gig Review:- "Foesim"

I was not planning on staying out on Saturday night, but when I popped into Drake’s Bar on West Street, Southport, for a quick up-date on the next rock night, a buzz from upstairs gained my attention.  Being a reporter, I thought to myself, I should take a look and see what was going on.  I headed up the staircase and was met by the licensee and his other half.  They told me a band was setting up and that I might be interested in them.  So the natural thing happened, I stayed and had a listen to their sound check; well kind of sound check.  "The band is based in Liverpool, but its members are from all over the world.  We met when at University together and we formed a band.", I was informed by a band member, who came over, as I watched the DJ unpack his equipment.  Then I spotted the DJ had vinyl records, something I have not seen in the bars in Southport for quite some time.  No CD’s in sight.  This got my attention even more.  I asked, "What type of music are you?", as the sound check had just left me with more questions than I went in with.  "Mainly a mixture of Reggae and R&B.".  Nothing new in that, I thought, but shortly after a conversation with a few of the members, I got the impression this was not going to be just one of those average bands I am used to seeing heading out of Liverpool.  As the DJ took to the decks, a slow increase in party drifters and regulars started to emerge.  As this was yet another free night, it was a shame not to see it build up more quickly but, as is normal for Southport, 10pm might well as be 10am.  By 11:30pm, however, the bar’s audience was building up nicely, so was the atmosphere created by the DJ playing original R&B and Reggae music, mixed in with the odd bit of rap style mixing.  Then the band took to the stage.  At first, they came across as very similar to Joe Driscoll, who played a few weeks before.  Yet this was a full band and their sound was far crisper and far more refined.  It is hard to explain what they are.  At first I thought they fell into the reggae section, but as the first tune progressed they added elements of rap, then acid jazz and a bit of soul for good measure.  Also the musical styles had a Mediterranean feel to it, but with a distinctive Liverpool sound underlying their music on occasion.  At other times, they had a New York bonks touch or a Caribbean.  This mixture of styles being blended was very acid jazz in approach, and showed the band’s international background.  This band, in my view, could easily play in nearly any venue and have the punters enjoying themselves.  Half way through the night, the band handed me a CD and said:- "Please play it".  "This is not what we sound like now, as we have dropped the rapper from the line up at this point in time.  But it will give you an idea of what we sound like when mixed.  We are finishing off a new LP with our new line up over the next few weeks, so I will get that to you.", I was informed by another band member.  He went on to say:- "We are up to do Glastonbury this year, so we have been getting things a lot tighter than when we did that recording." So, as soon as I got back to the office, I played their CD.  I was so impressed that I decided to contact the band and get them to allow me to add it to our play lists on Liverpool Reporter.  You can hear one of the tracks on the video we made of Liverpool Fashion Week, by clicking here…

This band should be on large stages, in my view.  They are a well-rounded band, with lots of potential in both the dance music milieu and also the more underground scene.  All they need is for a big promoter to take note and this band will, mark my words, be big news! I often say that bands impress me, but for all the fans of the Southport Weekender, if you get a chance to see this group live, do so! They will blow most of the old acts out of the water.  I agree with the band though, that the CD they gave me is not like what they have now.  In just a few months, they have made a very good band into a ready to become world famous name.  Let’s hope these lads get the backing they deserve!

To hear a few snippets of their tunes, please click on the players below, now.  But if you think they are good from these snatches, you must see them live, now!

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