aaamusic | On 23, Mar 2011

London, 17th March

Come nine o’clock it’s all hands to action stations as the crowd pours in anticipation for next act Billy Vincent who enter stage right visually attired like a more indie version of Mumford & Sons and Kings of Leon.

As it’s St.Patrick’s Day the music coming from this group is tinged with an irish feel whilst still remaining true to their English routes as an English band hailing from the South West. The music they play would be nothing more than powerful and passionate classic folk rock fronted by a voca pairing up front if it were not for the fiddler that adds the essential lynch pin to their uniqiue sound.; add electric guitars and rollicking riffs and a harmonica  Billy Vincent’s live sound saturates the senses.

Their sound has been described as “… indisputably unique” and that likened to the likes of Nick Cave and Conor Oberst” (Allgigs.co.uk) which is indeed true, however their live performance is incredible and the joy and tight knit mayhem they unleash onstage  is entirely different with their  energetic playing so contagious that spasmodic tapping of feet and nodding of heads spreads through the crowd like a tsunami. Watching them is like seeing the final moments of a poker tournament, the calm before the storm as their riffs and vocals tear through the audience, filling the venue with a sense of audio rapture.

If you want to catch this experience in person, Billy Vincent are currently touring the country to promote their new EP ‘King Island Coyote”  which is to be released in April 2011 on Something Nothing Records, and it would be adviseable to consider buying it if the quality of music artistry and passion shown at this gig is anything to go by.

Billy Vincent definitely bring the noise and it was a pity they didn’t play more than a one hour set being limited timewise hence their leaving the stage free – without a much called for encore – for the main act.

With a second (currently untitled) EP to follow ‘King Island Coyote’ in June and their full-length debut album scheduled for a September release, all written and recorded whilst the band continue to enthral crowds with exuberant live sets, there is no arguing that 2011 is set to be a big year for Billy Vincent.

To sum up the dogma behind this band are the words:

“For us it’s all about passion. If you don’t put your heart and soul into it, it’s pointless. And we give it everything we’ve got” (co-singer and songwriter David Vincent).

Author: Guy Waddington