Call Upon The Author

Here at Call Upon The Author we’ve been keeping tabs on the good folks at Jelly Maid Music for some time. Last year we were dazzled by the debut release by Dawn Chorus and our thoughts on B of The Bang are well documented here. So, when we realised label boss Rich Tamblyn was putting all his acts on the same bill we thought it would be rude not to pop down to The Wedgewood Rooms and see what would unfold.

B of the Bang were first up, and the larger venue seemed to do wonders for the bands sound. Wit and his rabble seemed to expand their outlook with every new song, swamping the audience with dual (sometimes even triple) layers of production and making the most of the crystal clear sound offered to them. Hints of middle eastern rhythms seeped in and out of a set that was pretty much flawless, but the highlight was undoubtedly the haunting rendition of Lung.

Next up were Autons, whose stark electronic rock was undoubtedly well crafted but, sadly, didn’t do much for this writer. Clearly I was in the minority though as the rest of the audience seemed to be loving their tunes.

Melodramas were the enigma on the line up, a band I knew of, but hadn’t heard. I’d certainly been missing out though, as evidenced by the roaring welcome the group got when they hit the stage. Frontman Matt Woolway has the rock star swagger down pat and the band have the tunes to back it up. Undoubtedly local anthem Albert Rd received a great reception (the song is about the street where the venue is located). These guys have potential by the bucket load and I can’t wait to hear more from them!

Last up were The Dawn Chorus and, it has to be said, I was a little disheartened. Their album was one of my favourites of last year, but they seemed to be a little off the pace here. Strangely, after some superb work form the sound technicians on the previous acts, these guys sounded fuzzy and a little unclear, muddying their folk tinged tunes. A shame, they have superb tunes and a great reputation as a live act, but somehow it just didn’t work for me.

Still, it has to be said, Tamblyn has some great acts and Jelly Maid certainly looks to be a label worth watching.