OLIVER WILDE – THE SQUARE TOWER, OLD PORTSMOUTH, 12th April 2014

Having been built back in 1494 during the reign of Henry VII there is of course already much history to the Square Tower yet in recent years it has been transformed into a venue for weddings, art exhibitions, corporate events and as of the last couple of months, that of live music.

Tonight then it was over to the guys at Pie and Vinyl to host an evening that certainly had a buzz in the air as the sold out crowd started to arrive for a night with Oliver Wilde and the Boy I Used to Be as well as the obligatory and rather lovely pies being available.

First up though it was the late addition to the bill Something Anorak, although this particular gig wasn’t listed on Oliver Wilde’s official listing it was good to see his tour support were still given the opportunity to play to a new crowd.

Something Anorak were a simple set up of one man and his guitar with a drummer standing behind a three piece kit, performing lo-fi indie numbers whilst the audience were able to soak up the atmosphere within the stone walls as the animated Pie and Vinyl logo repeated itself on loop above the stage.

Although the opening act had been an unexpected bonus, it was the nights’ main support and local talent Edward Perry that had really helped attract a crowd.  Going by the name of the Boy I used to Be and assisted by his partner in crime, Perry has started to create something truly unique with a mixture of alt folk and pre-programmed backing tracks.

With the “Friday Morning EP” being released exclusively by the Pie and Vinyl record café in line with the national Record Store Day the Boy I Used to Be is likely to be just as sought after as the likes of a Beach Boys seven inch, or the Byrds “Straight for the Sun” limited edition double vinyl, coming out on the same day.

Having not been to a performance at this particular venue before I was unsure as to how the acoustics would react to a full on band, yet when Oliver Wilde took to the stage it was soon apparent the Square Tower has been transformed into something pretty special.

As the turntable logo of Pie and Vinyl continued to spin it was backed with other intriguing visuals which suited Wilde’s soundscapes, initially starting out as shoegaze soaked indie-rock interpretations of the studio tracks before delving into the more experimental.

Songs taken from “A Brief Introduction to Unnatural Light Years” and forthcoming release “Red Tide Opal in the Loose End Womb” come across well live, the slight re-workings of Oliver Wilde’s debut meaning you’re engulfed in a beautiful  wash of sound whilst hearing the elements that were created for the slightly more complex record.

The new album may have a slightly pretentious sounding title, but this is due to Wilde being an artist rather than just a singer/guitarist, the experimental endings looping and sampling as one song starts to seemingly blend into the next before gradually bringing the set to a close.

As the crowd started to disperse showing the support the Boy I Used to Be has on the local scene and with Oliver Wilde providing us with a performance that took you through a musical wonderland, the lads at Pie and Vinyl have certainly put on another successful evening in a venue that can only be a welcome addition to the cities ever growing array of live entertainment.