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The Social is a small, modern venue and tonight it's filled with a whole mixture of individuals, from indie student types to older professionals. It's also full of free Jim Beam, as this tours sponsor everyone attending this evening is given a taster on the way in.
Kid Harpoon is the first act on, a one-man, acoustic warrior who fills the venue with gentle, dreamy tunes. He has a powerful voice, never struggling and hitting every note perfectly, as beautifully demonstrated on 'Colours'. He wanders unpredictably through a set similar in style to Damien Rice, mixing folk and indie, but with more vocal variety and a more uplifting feel. The audience is aslo treated to a cover of 'First We Take Manhatten', a Leonard Cohen number.
The second band tonight are enough to make anyone cringe, Envy And Other Sins appear to be fronted by the love child of Chas and Dave, with a Victorian chimney sweeper on keyboards, complete with flat cap and braces. Oh dear. Maybe they should concentrate on coming up with something that is musically more original, and less on dressing up like turds. Admittedly they can play very well, and amusingly they seem to have smuggled the Rubarb and Custard theme tune into one song, but that doesn't make them worth listening to.
HeadlinersCaptain emerge to a grand applause, looking like a happy, summery band. Blending pop melodies with indie sounds, they possess a range of simple, soft songs along with grander, more layered numbers, with strong synths and twin vocals. Inbetween songs such as 'Broke', 'Wax' and 'Frontline' the audience is provided with entertainment, not just songs, and stories are told of one band members involvement with a Vicars daughter, Gods revenge attack of thunder and lightening, and the lesson learnt not to mess with higher powers. The latest single 'Glorious' is played mid-set and welcomed by an expectant crowd. It's a catchy song, full of hope and warmth, the male/female twin vocals at their best. The band also urge everyone to buy it instead of Paris Hiltons single. Judging by their popularity tonight it looks like Captain have already won over Nottingham and it's unlikely these guys will be playing venues this small for long.
