A glaziers dream
Bedlam is a small venue and as such it doesn’t take many to make it look busy, 6 Day Riot don’t need to worry about that however as they get a decent turn out and the advantage of Bedlam being situated in the midst of the ITC venues means that a steady stream of people come in & out during their set.
6 Day Riot are a six piece band made up of double bass, ukulele, violin, guitar, trumpet and drums and are fronted by the delightfully pretty Tamara Schlesinger. They dress in what seems to be circa 1920s period costume, all braces and shirts and the music fits in with the image. It’s a little odd at first and takes a while to get into but it soon gets under your skin falling somewhere between skiffle and cabaret; I’m reluctant to say Brechtian cabaret for fear of comparisons with the Dresden Dolls but there is a touch of that style and quirkiness about them.
Schlesinger has a good, strong voice with a decent range that she uses to good effect and as an ensemble they work well together. The songs are full of dynamics, fairly catchy and easy on the ear and I imagine that when you’re in the right mood for 6 Day Riot they are brilliant. The whole band get into the performance and that just adds to the likeability factor. Given the hectic schedule of ITC we have to leave before the end of their set but there was plenty on show to suggest that they warrant further attention.