Bigtopp / The Ohmz / MoCara [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 28/7/14]
Mondays are tough. We’re all intimately familiar with post-weekend fatigue, irritating co-workers, and red-faced bosses bearing down on us with endless lists of unreasonable demands. After all that crap, we just want to chill.
The Boileroom, for many ska and reggae fans, was the ideal place to do just that this past Monday night. These bands got us where we wanted to go:
MoCara
Having previously seen MoCara at Hool-A-Palooza, I expected more great things – and, naturally, they delivered. Whether you want a guitarist overflowing with pure soul, laid-back bass grooves, fluid drumming, or a vocalist giving voice to great song after great song, MoCara have it all. Be sure to check out their Facebook page below, get involved, and earn the right to say you were into them before they got big.
The Ohmz
While MoCara aim for a punky, blues-riddled and ska-fuelled sound, The Ohmz deliver slow-burning and deeply felt reggae vibes. Spicy horns, great musicianship, and a distinctive image all backed up a total (and totally chilled) package. Awesome.
Bigtopp
I don’t think “gangster ska” is a thing yet, but it should be when Bigtopp are in town. Every instrumentalist was on top form – and with eight players onstage, that added up to something seriously formidable.
Slinky sax solos, a keyboardist whose hands were permanently blurred, a beyond-talented guitarist, and outfits that wouldn’t look out of place in a Guy Ritchie movie were but a few of the factors that make Bigtopp a must-see and have-to-hear act. Overall, this was epic – and the perfect antidote to stress, angst, and general downbeat vibes.
Kudos as always to the Boileroom team and Olly Dexter for a great night and great sound.
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