Esmeralda Opens the Night in Islington
When Esmeralda, the opening act for the Big Cheese Tour 2012 took to the stage there must have been 50 people in the O2 Academy 2 Islington, many of which were the other bands playing that night or friends and acquaintances of these individuals. However, although the venue may have been fairly empty, the lads on stage partied like it was jam-packed to the brim.
When the London/Surrey five piece initially took to the stage, they appeared a little hesitant, encouraging the crowd at the back of the venue to edge their way nearer the front and when this did occur, they seemed a little more in their element and went on to perform some incredible tunes such as Diamond Days. Combining hard guitar riffs and tough drums the basis of the bands alternative sound is created. Then adding a vocal that one minute sings and the next has the ability to scream made the performance that much more enjoyable. Although they attempted to get the crowd participating, try as they might there were only a few individuals in the relatively small crowd that were up for singing and clapping along.
Some bands may have been put off by the sparsely populated venue, but not Esmeralda. They took it in their stride and put on a set that was gratefully appreciated by all in attendance.