Ditto Live featuring XamVolo, The Sneaky Nixons, Little Triggers and more: Camp and Furnace, Liverpool

XamVolo

Embracing the tangible buzz of Ditto Live, Getintothis’ Katie Murt celebrates the vibrancy of Liverpool’s emerging musical talents at Camp and Furnace.

Walking into Camp and Furnace early on a Friday night and the definitive buzz in the air is tangible, opening act Danxia put out their dreamy echoey vocals with ease. The Warrington-born four piece seem to be kicking it off in style, putting everyone in a trance with their psych-infused sound.

Ditto company CEO Matt Parsons is bouncing between people amidst the sound of the second act of the evening, Liverpool lad Neil Noa. Playing songs from his most recent EP, The Last First One released back in December last year, his voice certainly holds up in a larger venue. Neil Noa’s vocals are stunning when singing Same Placed Heart, definitely someone up and coming from Liverpool who will be one to watch in the coming months.

As the crowd begins to spill in through the door, a real sense of community starts to grow within the walls of the Baltic Triangle’s Camp and Furnace, which felt like the perfect choice of venue from project manager Michael Murphy. It was genuinely special to see so many Liverpudlians coming together to celebrate how much talent we still have coming from our incredible city in 2017.

Moving the evening along at a steady pace, The Mono LPs smash out their fast-paced, rock-infused sound, sounding not too dissimilar to Arctic Monkeys and adding a fresh quality to their live show, with a cello player bringing the energy at centre stage. Finishing their opening song L.O.V.E & H.A.T.E the lead vocals brings things again even closer to home with his Scouse accent, “ta very much, we’re doing a rock and roll show”.

With the evening in full swing Bribes immediately add a heavier note to proceedings, playing their latest single Wild Creatures this Merseyside three piece have an air of Royal Blood, a really tight and polished sound. Their meaty rock and roll draws the crowd in and raises the volume. Oya Paya follow straight on with a stark change of pace, taking the vibes to a more chilled level, infusing their music with some candid whistling from the front man.

Oya Paya‘s songs seem to unexpectedly evolve from one thing to the next using synths and playing with vocals, this band is really one to keep you guessing throughout their performance.

Oya Paya

Curator of the evening Michael Murphy introduces his band, The Wicked Whispers. Looking professional and about ready to hop into a Volkswagen van and drive off on the road, the psychedelic five piece seem to transport the crowd into their world, their catchy riffs filling the atmosphere and adding an undeniably 60s flavour. Next up Lungs blast songs from their latest EP Kelham Steel, giving off a somewhat masculine vibe, they’re certainly engaging, without ever being sure if it clashes with or complements the volume.

A highlight of the evening came at the midway point with the arrival of XamVolo, who basks in soulful jazz atmospherics while exuding copious amounts of effortless cool. The range and various types of music continues to grow, each act offering something different.

Packing out the venue, it was clear this was an act no one wanted to miss. XamVolo has an incredibly strong stage presence, nonchalantly working the atmosphere before hitting what could have been potentially the highest vocal pitch of the evening with ease. As cool as a cucumber, he proceeded to leave the stage before the last song had run its course.

The quality of the acts throughout the evening continue to build and grow, Ditto Live is clearly a huge advantage for the Liverpool community, showing off the hub of strong musical talent and live performances.

Next up Seprona, another Liverpool band with a bright future, performing singles Trap Door and Monsters as if they’ve been playing together for years despite the singer announcing it’s their first gig as a band and that they’ve only known each other a week. An impressive feat for any musician. Then Lilium use their plucky guitar melodies and raw vocals for a truly stand out performance, the whole band clearly completely invested in the moment, captivating the whole room.

The Sneaky Nixons

The Sneaky Nixons brought their well known trumpet sound instantly, with Sex raising the roof and even getting some folks dancing at the back. It’s clear this band have an already large fanbase in Liverpool, and singing through a megaphone definitely adds to the growing sense of chaos.

Little Triggers played with an immense energy, both bands bringingt an element sex appeal playing as if it’s the last time they ever will before Venus Demilo closed the night with their feel-good tunes and pop culture references, belting out Bite My Tongue and Sinking Ships.

Northern Lights to provide new artist-led space in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle

Speaking to CEO and co-founder of Ditto Music, Matt Parsons, he says; “Thanks to all the bands for a great night. It shows the amazing talent we have here in Liverpool”

It was an excellent turnout for Ditto, the evening was a massive success for a major Liverpool-based company and it was heartening to see so much support for the new breed of Merseyside bands.

We look forward for future events from Ditto, it’s definitely not one to be missed.