Seatbelts, Lo Five, Charlie McKeon, Mik Artistik's Ego Trip: Studio 2, Liverpool

Seatbelts

Music and spoken word form a Violette Societa night so Getintothis’ Steven Doherty straps himself in for the ride.

The La Violette Societa night of which this is number 18 has been building momentum mostly through positive social media chatter, with the last three selling out.

With an ideal venue for such a venture, and impeccably well-organised, more of a novelty than you would imagine, it’s easy to see why.

First up are Mondegreen, named after the phenomenon of a misheard lyric. Introduced as a ‘less annoying First Aid Kit‘, they initially look nervous at the comparison, but as their set goes on, they have no reason to balk at this. The acoustic folk trio from Chester have a late night in a dark room quality to their music, the highlight being the harmonious Day In Day Out.

Lo Five are a big key change and as such are the most unfairly unappreciated set of the night. The electronica seemed to jar in these surroundings and seemed to alienate some parts of the crowd. It was the right band in the wrong room.

There then follows an interlude from Roy, a storyteller rather than a straight stand-up. With references to Half Man Half Biscuit, Phil Jagielk, Breck Road Kwik Save, he knew his crowd. His Twitter feed (@badwool9) is an absolute must follow.

Charlie Mckeon on paper should be the least interesting act of the night (Man + Acoustic = Sheeran).
Not in this case.

He has an amusing approach, from writing his setlist on a napkin, to calling his guitar Norman, his songs have a certain sea-shanty lilt about them.

Nine Inch Nails – Top Ten

Because of the recent rave reviews through their Boy Azooga support slot and Songs for Vonnegut EP this should be an open goal for Seatbelts. However, they initially struggle, due mainly to the room being mostly seated, making it harder for them to create an atmosphere.

They overcome this through the sheer quality of the material. The new songs are a large step forward (even in a band that’s not been together for long), as well as the established EP tracks. This Is How We Do Things being the clear stand out, Finishing with Hey, Hey Tiger, a born set closer.

“I don’t need heroin.
I’ll stick to bittter“.

A mantra for us all to live by, this comes courtesy of Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip, headed by 63 year old Mik who prowls in between his audience like a man a third of his age.

Comedy songs are loved and loathed in equal measure, but when they are delivered by a man with an accordion and a hint of Ian Dury and Sleaford Mods, then it’s impossible not to love.

The dilemma now for the night is whether demand outstrips supply enough to warrant moving the gig to a bigger, and potentially soulless, venue and risk alienating its hardcore audience. A nice problem to have.

Images by Getintothis’ Lauren Cowdall