Review: Prisma Live – Spanky Van Dyke’s – 10 July 2014

The first act of the night was BAYBO SQUAYBO; a band featuring former members of ‘The Fade’. This was a fun set which managed to find the right balance between experimentation and accessibility; the intricate arrangements allowing them to stand out from regular indie bands. The highlight of the set was their new song ‘Self Aware’.

An interesting addition to this set was the usage of a new product called ‘ClipSign’. The sign attached to the mic stand displaying the band’s name and a QR code which audience members could scan in order to get the bands content directly to their phone. This product seems like it could be very useful to up and coming bands seeking to gain exposure.

SAMUEL J LAWRENCE was a late replacement for Charlotte Carpenter who unfortunately had to pull out through illness. This was the first time I had heard Samuel J Lawrence and I was impressed by his neat melodic songs. This artist came across as somewhere in-between Paolo Nutini and Jamie T; none more so than on his cover of Nutini’s songs ‘Pencil Full of Lead’.

The baton was then passed to the fast-paced alternative rock band VANITY BOX. Vanity Box are a solid band, they play tight and they play with passion. They are not doing anything radical with their music but this isn’t always important if the songs are good enough. The audience’s reaction to the performance suggested that the songs were indeed good enough!

The evening’s headliners were SUSPECT ALIBI; fresh from their appearance on the Rabbit Hole stage at Glastonbury. The band was keen to display their gratitude towards Prisma Clothing for being the first ones to give the band exposure; their song ‘Nowhere’ was featured in the online Prisma sessions. It was this song ‘Nowhere’ which provided the highlight of the evening; invoking a rousing sing-along. There is enough quality in this bands songwriting to suggest that they can be one of the next Nottingham artists to make a nationwide impact. They should certainly be ear-marked as ones to watch.

Overall this was a great evening where the varied line up provided 4 artists who all had very different approaches to music. This variation meant that attention never waned throughout the night. Head to www.prismaclothing.com to check out their clothes and to look out for their next live music event.

Review by James Kellett