Yonaka played The Academy’s greenroom with support coming from British-Slovene singer July Jones.
Opening act July Jones has been known to say she is heading for 20 Grammys, that’s how confident she/her/they/them are and even during the performance she is heard saying that they are set for world fame. Trying to photographer her was fun as at a number of times I had to dodge a flying kick or two, this is of no fault of July’s more so the fact that the pit area has been altered in the venue and you cant swing a cat in it and are as up close and personal as can be to the acts.
Playing a twenty five minute set which includes songs like Girls Can Do Anything and the single Butterflies that’s features Girli & Suzi Wu (no there weren’t here) She was a little nervous as usually they would have a drummer on stage but tonight she is alone, on finishing her set they said come see me at the merch desk and buy something I’m independent artist so it all helps and I will even be signing boods.
I was looking forward to seeing Brighton’s Alt-rock YONAKA as should be at a festival this weekend where they are playing but that wasn’t to be.
They arrived on stage bang on time and were given a huge welcome from the crowd, the cheers were deafening which brought a broad grin to Theresa Jarvis face.
Opening up with Ordinary / Greedy / Punch Bag the crowd are straight into it with the room jumping and dancing which is encouraged by Theresa and George Edwards who at a time mounts the barrier. Call Me A Saint and Raise Your Glass are played back too back after which Theresa asked are there any Creatures in the house, yep its Creatures played next followed by Get Out and then a cover of the Pat Benatar classic
Love Is a Battlefield.
If yous know the words sing with me Theresa says as George takes a stool and a acoustic guitar for Guilty and sing they did word for word back at Theresa. Teach Me To Fight came next.
After this Theresa says will we have a little mosh then, come on I want to see a mosh pit there in the centre so the crowd oblige with a large mosh pit for Clique, now the crowds asked to all hunker down and again they are all obliging, have seen this down before and maybe half a room would do it, but tonight the whole room are down for FWTB (Fucking With The Boss) The band finished out the main set with Seize the Power.
Back on we are told that there’s two songs left and the first is Anthems where the room lights up with phone torches.
Before the final song Theresa says this is for all the dreamers, never give up on your dreams and they finish up with Rockstar!
Who ever categorised Yonaka as Alt-rock needs to revisit that! that show was PUNK!
