aaamusic | On 27, Mar 2012

‘Marley’s Chains’ Single Launch

London, 20th March

 

Ok we are in the penthouse in Leicester Square tonight to see EMI’s hotly tipped new product Honey Ryder. As I get out the lift I see it’s a nice affair with a VIP section for press and just next to the lift and on the stage the bands name in lights in a Vegas style way which looks amazing. So what I wanted to know is can they deliver the goods. For a start I notice as they come on that the singer Lindsay O’Mahony looks a good twenty years older than the pictures on the posters and looked on my iPhone and they have been going from 2008 with only four previous singles and one album. So why now for a revamp I have no idea. The music is really nice with acoustic guitars and a very chilled feel about it, it’s like a Celtic Fleetwood Mac mixed with the Coors and the band is really talented especially the session players they have behind them. They have a good unity and I think a lot of the song writing comes from the guitar players either side of the stage. The songs are very well written and could be put in your collection next to well established artists in the classic rock / folk genre. The trio play a selection of songs including their new single ‘Marley’s Chains‘ which I quite liked when I saw the video but it doesn’t really have the X-Factor tonight. Lindsay lack of movement and only having crowd interaction between the songs and not during the songs really shows up, which she should have gathered over the years she has been in the business. The lowest point of the set is the cover of Grandmaster Flashes ‘The Message‘ which is just bad, their is so many covers I think would have worked really well and because of Lindsay great voice could have delivered a great version of. I have no idea why they picked a hip hop song from the 80’s, I think they were trying to be cleaver and it really has backfired. I really wanted to like Honey Ryder and their is something there but I think they have not found the right formula yet because it is just not memorable. It was a very nice night thou in a great location and all the strings have been pulled out so I had a good time.

Honey Ryder – Setlist
——————–
You won’t find Me
Worlds Away
Never say Never
Marleys Chains
Orange Tree
You Can’t say That
———————
The Message

 

 

Author: Daniel Cairns

Photos: Luca Viola