Live Review

Royworld – Barfly, Liverpool

• 7th Dec 2007

A thread-bare crowd was inevitable when the newly pimped-up Liverpool Music Week was in full steam ahead and had rammed out the Bumper up the road to almost creaking point. Free entry is always a sure-fire way of getting the folks in. Even when the weather had conjured up a shit mix of a force six on the Beaufort scale (umbrellas getting turned inside out) and monsoon rain sweeping off the banks of the River Mersey.

The Barfly played host to local boys The Majority who kicked things off with a fine set of keyboard influenced pop music. Heavy guitar riffs married agreeably with keyboard harmonies like a good Gretna Green elopement. The band’s keyboardist, the moge describes their sound as ‘melodic pop’, don’t worry it’s not sickly sweet melodic. They offer a lot of attitude and edginess in their live shows which is welcome relief from some of the keyboard influenced bands whose soul purpose is to churn out music to ‘wet your bed to’. Ste, the lead singer was assured in his delivery and exuded that trademark scouse brashness. Tracks included Amsterdam, which is a tale of er… Amsterdam, you could nearly smell the skunk clouds billowing out of the seedy ‘dam cafes. A succession of gigs in town lately has seen The Majority’s momentum slowly but surely building.

Headliners, Royworld who have recently been devoured by Virgin, are in the midst of their first mini-tour and have just released their first single ‘Elasticity’ a couple of days ago. Good work boys! They are a 4 piece consisting of Rod Futrille (vocals), Timmy Miles (keyboards), Gerry Morgan (drums) and Robbie Parkin (guitar) and currently dwell in South London. Again, a heavy dosage of the feel-good keyboard was prescribed, tight guitar and percussion play was varnished by a ghostly synth which nurtured a progressive and melodramatic sound. It is no surprise that they have been seen loitering in the studio with Andy King, Keane’s producer. The genteel frontman had a quirky, staccato manner which was stealthily endearing, even if he was a tad embarrassed by the lack of a crowd. Cohesive and well drilled, but do they offer anything new in a glut of ‘samey’ bands? Time will tell? Expect their debut album to hit the streets next spring.

Picture: The Majority