There are certain things you might expect to find in the basement of an Italian restaurant: boxes of packaged spaghetti, some olives, a terrified cat. One thing I did not expect to find was Welsh psychedelic folk group Colorama performing one of the most captivating indie gigs I have seen all year. Though the band were dressed in hippie winter jumpers, and lead singer Carwyn Ellis had a particularly unnerving stare, their dew drop prog rock was delivered with dream-like precision, with delicate chords being stirred up with complimentary wails, blending the songs like ice cream melting into a hot sponge.
The venue was quite long and narrow so I had to fight my way to the front or risk seeing nothing. After struggling through the compact crowd with two pints, I was delighted to find myself at the foot of a beige-lit stage, where the glow of Christmas lights and cluttered dusty artefacts occupied the empty corner spaces between instruments. It was very Dickensian, like a candle-lit attic, and served as a wonderfully fitting backdrop to the sound of the band.
The show started beautifully with elegant folk music seeping from the instruments as the band played tracks from their debut album Cookie Zoo, Magic Lantern Show, and their third album BOX. I found myself grooving uncontrollably at the front of the crowd, gyrating to the beat like a blinkered Norbit. The lead singer then broke away from the lead guitar and took a seat at the piano, where he continued to play slow folk for a few more tracks, performed in both Welsh and English, before returning to the front of the stage and finishing with a couple of heavier rock numbers. By the end of the night my gentle movements had escalated into a wild body frenzy, much to dismay of the crowd behind me. This was not Neil Diamond at the O2 after all.
In this age of X Factor and Pop Idol, it is refreshing to find original yet unpretentious music being played in locations that actually complement the sound of the band. Colorama manage to blend exceptional song writing with immaculate execution in such a captivating manner, that it is hard not to fall under their spell. Quashing comparisons with Coldplay, the trio from Anglesey shine through distinctively at a time of flaccid pop and progressive jip emo. But it is the quality of the song writing that truly counts, and Colorama’s meltdown ditties transcend genre trappings and enchant the listener, whilst as a live act they are mesmerizing. In time it would be good to see their performances blossom into bigger venues. There is only so much room in a restaurant basement after all.
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