The B of the Bang – Wedgewood Rooms 24.07.2021
Within the local music scene B of the Bang returning to the Wedgewood Rooms has been a long-awaited reunion. One that’s been almost 1.5 years in the making due to the ongoing pandemic.
Although despite social distancing rules starting to relax, tonight remained an all-seated affair with table service available.
Andrew Foster – Wedgewood Rooms
Andrew Foster and Van Gosh
Acoustic singer-songwriter Andrew Foster eased us into proceedings. Along with in between friendly banter with the audience, there was also a reminder of why the night was taking place to begin with. A collective effort to provide support for Team Sexton, with father of three Jody having been diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour.
With their array of stage props and all round silliness, Van Gosh could easily have been a bit too much. However, with the tight musicianship and ability to play tunes reminiscent of the likes of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, only Van Gosh could pull off such antics. As such, by the time their oversized cartoon heads had been removed the audience were still smiling.
Somewhere between prog rock and avant-garde jazz, they may not have been an obvious support band, but it was damn good fun… and that’s not to mention the comedic weightlifting or being introduced to the band’s pet dog.
Van Gosh – Wedgewood Rooms
The B of the Bang – Live Review 2021
It was clearly an emotional affair for B of the Bang and understandably so. After all, apart from the personal reasons for the charity gig, it had also been a while since they’d been on stage together.
However, endless rehearsal time had paid off and it was soon like days of old. Andrew Foster had quipped earlier that it wouldn’t be a B of the Bang gig without something going wrong and sure enough, as the first song ended the drone from the intro tape was still rolling.
Alas, that small hiccup aside you’d never have known it had been so long. With tracks such as “Delores” sounding just as poetic as they ever were. The new album feels somewhat more stripped-down, while the older material brought back memories of larger gatherings on stage. In particular, Southsea Fest and B of the Bang’s headlining sets at the Kings Theatre.
The main difference tonight being Tim (also of Van Gosh) stepping in on guitar for both his first and last gig with the band.
The B of the Bang – Wedgewood Rooms
As while they had the new “lost album” to promote, this was strictly a one-off. Although fear not, there are still some copies of the back catalogue available to order online. With proceeds all going to a worthy cause.
As for the night in review, the band felt it was only fitting to play an Encore. The final notes being that of an old favourite, before bringing another night back at the re-opening of the Wedge came to a close.
