A big warm hug from 'til Dusk
First up at IndigO2 for tonight's showcase of unsigned British talent was South English band 'til Dusk, a strong alternative rock band who clearly draw on a wide range of influences from the hard rock, pop, folk and alt rock worlds.
Although the crowd was small, it was an interested one and there was head nodding and feet tapping through most of the half hour set. Singer James McLaren showed he is a natural front man with a defined presence on the stage. His chatter with the crowd between songs was light but interesting and it's clear that with a bit of experience he will have no trouble commanding a rooms attention.
The foursome were well attuned to each other, keyboardist and acoustic guitarist Ashely Cutler and bass player Adam Porter interacting well with McLaren. Down the back Tom Ross kept the drum beats rolling, a solid backbone to the set. This was especially obvious in a song that McLaren introduced as being about hate and revenge, which showed off brilliant harmonies between keyboards, vocals and bass.
Their upbeat songs had strong beats that got your body moving, while their calmer songs made IndigO2, which is a large venue, feel small and intimate. The set was a nice mix of calm and peaceful songs to chill to and upbeat layered sounds that get in your head. Tonight they were quite light on the entertainment and interaction, but what they do well is play a tight set that lets you get lost in the music.
Opening a night isn't easy, especially when you're on stage at 7pm, but 'til Dusk drew people down from the bar to the dance floor and gave off an energy that was like a big warm hug around the crowd.