The Wave Pictures,
Hayment, Watson, ‘Trout' and Lee
Ryan O'Reilly
Luke Wright

4 stars

The new music staged at the final 90 Free CDs night, in the iconic 93 Feet East, kicked off with folk-bluegrass songster Ryan O'Reilly. O'Reilly's mellow yet evocative style is complemented by lyrics and a voice that comes straight from the heart. Hayman, Watson, ‘Trout' & Lee followed, their nu-bluegrass tunes a meld of Dave Tattersail's and Darren Hayman's vocal harmonies and some Hefner-esque quirky lyrics. The novelty of the wordsmithery was not limited to this banjo-and-fiddle-weilding fourpiece. They were preceded by some incisive, darkly comedic spoken word courtesy of Luke Wright, whose patter between his poems was equally as entertaining as his well-delivered rhymes. Dave Tattersail finished off the night when he made his second appearance, this time with The Wave Pictures, a young, intelligent band whose knack for touching the heart and mind is down to their paradoxically cheerily melancholic songs and winning delivery. The highlight of the night was a rebellious final song performed acoustically, against the wishes of the PA overlord, which hushed the audience and provided an atmospheric finale to this courageous endeavour that has provided a platform for many upcoming artists.

Kat Austen

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