Review: The Bluebeat Arkestra, at the Flapper & Firkin, Birmingham

With the summer festivals well under way, I’d heard a rumour that one of 2010s most talked about new bands were headlining at the Flapper & Firkin in Birmingham.

Having listened to their energetic debut single, Waves, I was keen to see how the band performed live.

With an eclectic symphony of bass, violins, guitar, synths, female rap and vocals the group are a complete fusion of raw sound. Their music has many influences, from electro, drum and bass, and hip hop, to jazz and funk so I found it hard to pin point their sound to one particular genre.

The Flapper lends itself to new bands and music, with an upstairs bar area and basement gig space, the stage is dark and moody, the perfect setting for Keji Adedeji with her Korg induced synths coupled with her explosive rap vocals.

Keji’s ability to get the crowd participating was second to none, fuelling repetition of her chorus chants and keeping everyone’s spirits high. Other stand out performer was Shaun Hand - Left-Handed guitarist.

The way he worked the strings was razor sharp delivering a crescendo of riffs at lightning speed, definitely one to watch for track solos. The violin is being used more and more in modern bands and as I used to play, it’s was a thrill to see Leonie Rainbird-Tilson bring life to the instrument in a less conventional music genre.

The lead singer Hayley Trower has a style of her own, giving the band an edge of reason which reminds me of Massive Attack or even Bjork although the melodies are worlds apart.

The Bluebeat Arkestra has just released their debut single Waves on download and limited CD on a one-off deal with local label Musique Records www.musiquerecords.co.uk.

www.myspace.com/thebluebeatarkestra