An Evening with The Overtones at Colston Hall in Bristol review
Posted on: 2015-06-23
Our rating:
The Overtones delivered exactly what the Bristol crowd were looking for; no gimmicks, nothing fancy, just five men and their incredible voices.
Last night, Monday 22 June 2015, the Colston Hall in Bristol was host to An Evening with the Overtones, and what a fantastic evening it was! This was the chance for an ecstatic crowd to see the celebrated five piece vocal harmony group who have been cutting a swath across the music industry since they emerged on the scene in 2010. These five former decorators were talent spotted while singing together during a tea break and have captured the hearts of fans countrywide, with their rebooted versions of classic sounds meaning they have huge appeal to contemporary audiences.
Having released their fourth UK Top 10 album Sweet Soul Music earlier in the year ,the band are now criss-crossing the country with their supporting tour. The album sees the band paying tribute to their soul roots and mixes a selection of timeless classics with a handful of original gems.
The crowd at the Colston Hall were immediately transported back to the heady days of the sixties as the band appeared on stage looking dapper as ever in their trademark suits and kicked off 90 minutes of magnificent musical harmony with a rousing version of Get Ready, taken from Sweet Soul Music. They followed this up with a series of songs which though familiar to the audience appeared somehow fresh and original, arranged in The Overtones distinctive fashion.
Classic songs including Pretty Woman, Give Me Just a Little More Time and Under the Boardwalk were followed up by a novel take on Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars Uptown Funk. The group showed time and again that they were enjoying the challenge and taking a real pleasure in having the opportunity to stretch themselves, their talent and their very approach to the music in order to add a little diversity to the regular programme.
Between songs the band was keen to engage with the audience, sharing the odd insightful anecdote and bantering with the crowd. At one point they moved off the stage to sing whilst mixing with fans and posing for the odd selfie and later 5 lucky ladies were invited up onto the stage to be serenaded; an experience I am sure none will forget.
The members of the band - Mark Franks, Darren Everest, Timmy Matley, Lachie Chapman and Bristol’s own Mike Crawshaw - displayed a distinct charisma as they shared their experiences and the real joy they have in the music they produce. Each had their own moment to shine during the course of the evening as they took their turn to tackle lead vocals. This was a polished performance; musically flawless and geared to fully demonstrate the incredible vocal talents of the group. Never was this most apparent than during the acapella section and a stunning rendition of Blue Moon, where the unique voices within the band blended to generate a delightfully pure sound and created breath taking musical magic.
An Evening with the Overtones proved to be an evening well spent with a hugely entertaining and jam-packed set of numbers guaranteed to get the audience dancing and singing along. The band delivered exactly what the Bristol crowd were looking for; no gimmicks, nothing fancy, just five men and their incredible voices. They gave a dynamic live performance full of energy, excitement and vitality whilst still maintaining a gentle, easy-going charm evocative of days gone by.
4/5
Reviewed by Sarah-Jane Howard for 365Bristol - where local information matters.
Review date : Monday 22 June 2015
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
