Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun @ Out Of Step 24th May 2010

The last band of the night were Cheltenham's folk punk heroes Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun. The band didn't even take the stage to start their set instead they brought the show into the audience with an acoustic number in the very middle of the room this turned out to be the perfect way to warm up an audience.

Again Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun showed a different musical direction with an obvious influence from folk music again combining the traditional folk style with more modern ingredients. The combination of traditional protest songs with aspects of youthful revolt create a style that it's impossible not to warm to.

In my time as a resident of Cheltenham I saw Jim Lockey & The Solemn sun develop into the band they have now become and with every performance they seem to improve. There is of course a nostalgic aspect in my appreciation of their music but this has now been overtaken by simple appreciation. Again like Joe Summers I'm looking forward to hearing the record when it comes out in July and we will be looking forward to the band returning to play for us again very soon.

Boat To Row @ Out Of Step 24th May 2010

Boat To Row are a band who have attracted a lot of attention from local music writers in the last few months, this attention added an extra level of anticipation and expectation to the set. As they took the stage and started to play the opening track I knew this attention was more than deserved the individual style this four-piece has blends traditional folk with other aspects of acoustic music with comparisons to both Fiona Regan and Get Cape Wear Cape Fly made by other journalists I wasn't sure how they would work but they do work perfectly as a live act.

I'm scarred at how many of the local bands that Out Of Step admires have members of BTR involved and even more scary is how young these guys are. The maturity they show in the music they make is amazing and the instrumental balance created throughout makes live sets a pleasure to watch.

Sunrise Over Europe @ Out Of Step 24th May 2010

Sunrise Over Europe were second up and created a great deal of anticipation from their sound check which can only be described as loud. This band like the other three acts on the bill create an individual style of folk inspired music which takes influence from a diverse range of musical and lyrical styles.

The most obvious style the band have is shoe-gaze although the distorted fuzzy guitars do mix beautifully with angular violins and soothing vocals. As a live act the band were intense with their energy on stage almost equaling the walls of pure noise delivered. The set was balanced perfectly with just enough quiet tender moments to balance the pure noise elements.

Sunrise Over Europe are definitely a band that you need to see to fully understand and we are looking forward to having them back sometime soon.