A bit of a home coming for tonight’s gig as local lad Joe Ramsey and the Hartlepool’s Market Place bring their co-headlining tour to Stockton’s Georgian Theatre with Noyou supporting.
The night started with Indie darling Noyou taking to the stage. A professional looking band who got right on with the job of entertaining. Sitting between electronic and rock they use their many musical strengths to great results. With two singers in the band swapping lead duties the main singer picks up a 12 string as the lead guitarist delivers some tasty lead work to add to the mix on their track.
The bands second guitarist come drummer mixing things up with a drum pad as the bassist takes care of the synth duties which s key to their sound. The tracks are well developed and their synth drenched atmospheric sound and energetic stage presence makes this band a great band to see live. Finishing with the fantastic ‘Underneath the pain’ the band give a great performance tonight
Market Place were up next taking the stage wearing ghost sheets. Another dual vocal band mixing both male and female vocals through out their energetic set. Their harmonies and fantastic chord changes earned them some new fans tonight, myself being one. The bands drummer is one of the finest drummers I have ever seen and his mastery of the kit was worth watching on its own. Mixing old and new, their new tracks ‘IBS’ and ‘Fruits’ taken from their EP were their best songs of the night.
The band brings joy to the stage and their sweet melodies as all the members enjoy playing and that joy is hugely infectious. Their bouncy sound is just as infectious especially topped with the superb vocals from the band’s singer/bassist who demonstrates some fantastic vocal control.
Joe Ramsey really benefits from having the full band behind him, and what a band he has. Their quality really shines through with a quiet confidence and musicianship that lets Ramsey make the most of his tracks and soaring vocals. His set was all about the tracks as he took the stage straight into his cracking single ‘Caught In’. His voice is in fine form tonight.
With a solid backline from both drummer and bassist, who even throws in some tapping, the tracks get a boost and allow guitarist Josh Brown’s carefully crafted lead work to really shine. Keeping things restrained for much of the time and letting the songs do the talking, he does show his prowess with a smoking solo on ‘You Don’t Have To Leave’.
Joe treats us to a solo track with just an acoustic but its when the whole band joins in that the magic is really made. A great night was had watching three of the North Easts cracking acts.
