Sofar Sounds is an internationally recognised organisation - the aim is to put on one hell of a show, just not in a conventional music venue. It can be hosted anywhere from a living room to a coffee shop, even a laundrette. For the uninitiated, when signing up for a ticket to a Sofar Sounds event you won’t know where you’re going until the night before the gig, and won’t know who’s playing until you get there. In terms of Ocelot’s regions we’ve got Oxford, and now Swindon. After visiting a Sofar gig at The Hague in the Netherlands, Swindonian Yazmin Taylor sought out some advice from the guys in Oxford and quickly found herself signing up and becoming ‘City Leader’ for the latest addition to Swindon’s music scene. [caption id=“attachment_35689” align=“aligncenter” width=“795”]
Sofar Sounds Swindon. Photography by Ben Lawton[/caption] I hadn’t actually been to a Sofar event anywhere yet. Explaining how it all works Yaz said “It’s an acoustic music night - it’s not really a boogie culture. All we ask is that guests don’t use their phones, chat, or leave whilst the act is playing - of course photos and videos are fine! It’s about showing respect to the musician(s) and that works really well with the intimate settings that Sofar want to create.” After the demise of Swindon’s Bohemian Balcony it’s no wonder that ambitious projects can be looked at with trepidation in this small town, but business owners of Darkroom and Desk Cowork have embraced the idea by hosting two of the events - the first was in Yaz’s living room. [caption id=“attachment_35701” align=“aligncenter” width=“694”]
Evan, Yaz, and Henry. Photo by Ben Lawton[/caption] The Sofar team in Swindon is small and, after my first event on Saturday, clearly effective. They’re made up of Yasmin, Henry Meredith, and Evan Costello. I had a chat with Swindon’s Sofar team before the event, and from the off loved the trio’s energy and attitude. The whole rules aspect, I’m sure, might deter some people, but I was amazed at how chilled and laid back it all was. As we were discussing in the pub a week beforehand it attracts a lot of like-minded people who love music and are keen to try something different. Talking about Swindon’s music scene, Henry said “People complain that nothing happens here, that Swindon’s a ‘cultural dessert’ so we think this is a great thing for Swindon - we want other promoters here to see this as a positive thing, not competition. I think it’s come at the right time - slotted in really nicely - and it’s just going to grow from here. It’s a lot of work to organise,” especially as all three of them have full-time jobs “but you just get on with it and get shit done.” [caption id=“attachment_35732” align=“aligncenter” width=“692”]
Sofar Sounds Swindon. Photography by Den Costello[/caption] Evan added: “It feels good to be doing something progressive in Swindon - I think it’ll be really good for the town as it encourages more people to go see live bands more. It’s all about the music and bringing the community together through local artists, businesses and venues.” Wondering if Swindon’s ready for Sofar? Last week was the town’s third, and sold-out, event, this time at Swindon’s rentable and quirky office space Desk Cowork run by Matt Greenwood. It was wonderful. What I loved most about the culture of this gig is the room for manoeuvre - musicians sound checking on the spot - which makes the process and, ultimately the sound, incredibly raw. In a way it makes the whole experience more genuine.
Matty Bryant [caption id=“attachment_35733” align=“aligncenter” width=“689”]
Matthew Bryant. Photography by Den Costello[/caption] Perfectly summarised, solo artist Matty took the stage looking somewhat disconcerted at the group sat in front of him - “It feels really intense in here, but I like it” he said. Explaining that each of his songs had a story behind it, Bryant is a refreshened indie-rock act telling tales of mundane adolescence which he tells through witty lyrics - Sleeping in the Bath, for instance. His songs also reflect his charming and upfront personality, reaffirmed by his rambles between songs as he earnestly said “I’m not used to people looking at me in the face”, and then on he would play. Drew Bryant [caption id=“attachment_35735” align=“aligncenter” width=“709”]
Drew Bryant. Photography by Den Costello[/caption] Drew Bryant’s solo act performance was as rock ‘n’ roll as acoustic can be - that within itself was impressive - with a causal yet dominant stage presence throughout, asserting a certain undeniable professionalism about him. The latter makes sense as he seems to have been around while, stating during a break “It’s hard being a musician in town where there’s not a lot of venues to play in” - thankfully, that might not be the case anymore. His tone was incredibly soothing with a soft yet husky execution which boarders on similarities between Jeff Buckley and Bower Birds - the surroundings of Desk Work really lent itself to his performance. Frankie Knight [caption id=“attachment_35730” align=“aligncenter” width=“779”]
Frankie Knight. Photography by Den Costello[/caption] What an incredible set full of well handled malfunctions, honesty and a sound I got completely immersed in. Again the Sofar Sounds’ aesthetic worked for her and her partner and just when I thought for a moment that the mic had just stopped working, she sassily said “don’t be fooled by this mic, it’s not on. This is raw.” What a lady. By this third act, that’s what I was picking up about Sofar Sounds - the artist controls the room, and essentially gets what they want out of it. In this sense, Frankie Knight was beautifully harmonious and the audience seemed to really engage with this in a shared silence - would you get that in a normal venue setting? Despite the acoustic set, Frankie Knight was able to perform something incredibly earthy whilst being able to give an insight into what she would be like if she was able to release her electronic side - a haunting fusion between Angel Olsen and The XX, or as someone shouted “Fleetwood Mac.” The Harlers [caption id=“attachment_35700” align=“aligncenter” width=“703”]
The Harlers (L-R) Jamie Warren, Mitch Malone, and Chris Pritchard). Photography by Ben Lawton[/caption] From the off it was clear that The Harlers were revving up to hit the ceiling - despite gently rolling through their hypnotic and synchronised music levels, it just felt as though they were about to combust into something else at any given moment. My trail of thought was quickly put to rest as frontman, Chris Pritchard, said “Usually we would be banging around the stage smashing things, so this this is very different set than we’re used to. I’d be lying to you if I said we’re not a little nervous about tonight.” In terms of their stage presence, that makes sense, but nerve wise I don’t think anyone would have picked up on that. The Harlers came across incredibly polished whilst simultaneously encapsulating a grungy blues sound and aura - singing of love and loss - which resonates with a young Black Keys. What peaked my attention the most was bassest Mitch Malone’s comparability to the chordal riffs of Lenny Kaye - for me, he electrified this acoustic set. Pair this with Chris Pritchard’s voice, boasting a really versatile range which was both coarse and soulful, it’s clear that The Harlers’ will be quickly moving on to bigger things. [gallery td_gallery_title_input=“Sofar Sounds Swindon at Desk Cowork” td_select_gallery_slide=“slide” ids=“35699,35698,35697,35696,35694,35692,35691,35690,35688,35687,35686,35685,35684,35683,35741,35740,35739,35738,35737,35736,35734,35731,35730”] If you want to sign up for Sofar Sounds Swindon, or host a gig, email the team via Swindon@sofarsounds.com To find out more about Sofar Sounds worldwide, visit www.sofarsounds.com