Echobelly – Live @ Norwich OPEN
aaamusic | On 13, Jun 2017
Sunday 21st May, Norwich
It’s a welcome return to the live scene as Echobelly reform and play at OPEN in Norwich on a Sunday night with a packed crowd of mainly 40-somethings. Unfairly branded as Brit-Pop back in 1993, Echobelly went on to have five Top 40 hits including “Great Things” which got to No.13 in 1994.
Echobelly take to the stage with enigmatic Sonya Madan appearing last on stage to loud cheers when the crowd hear that familiar and distinctive voice. She starts with an oldie, “I Can’t Imagine The World Without Me” and the crowd’s response is very positive. This is not just greatest hits set as the band preview songs from new album “Anarchy and Alchemy” with “Hey, Hey, Hey” and the wonderfully titled “The Dogs Don’t Get You My Sisters Will”. These songs are very strong and meld with the older songs really well so will look forward to hear this new album when I get my hands on a copy. Mid set and Sonya gets the crowd going wild to their brilliant pop hit “Great Things” which brought a tear to the eye and hitting home that this band were one of my favourite nineties bands. The only slight criticism of the sound was that Sonya’s vocals were a little low in the mix nearer the end but this did not detract from the overall excellent acoustics in the OPEN club Room. The encore featured two more classics, “King of the Kerb” and the excellent “Dark Therapy” to finish and leave a happy crowd leave the venue on cloud nine!
Opening the evening were Norwich band The Wolf Number who played an assured atmospheric instrumental set and also set the vibe for the night with ambient even Floydian sounds. Some songs had background archive recordings rather like Public Service Broadcasting but without the cinematic video screen.
