Echobelly live performance at The Lexington, London – review

 

On 24 January I finally had the great opportunity to see Echobelly live. I was still a teen when Echobelly started their long and successful career and I have been a great admirer of that very peculiar band ever since. They decided to put on a very intimate show at The Lexington in London to announce the release of their forthcoming sixth studio album.

The show was announced for 9 PM and the crowd was waiting patiently to see the band appearing on the stage. As soon as they came out, the audience was overwhelmed. I guess we have all been waiting for quite some time to see them perform.

IMG_0139-webThey knew which song would immediately ignite us. They opened with “Car Fiction” and we all sang along. After “We Know Better” from the Dark Therapy single, they treated us with “I Can’t Imagine The World Without Me” from their debut album Everyone’s Got One. It was another track that put everyone in the mood for singing and dancing. They decided to play a new song next. Although we haven’t heard it before, it caught our attention. It gave us a glimpse of the new album which, judging from what we’d heard, will be a brilliant piece of work. But we can’t expect anything less from these music legends. They proved that their 90s material was still equally relevant today and that fans still enjoyed their 90s hits like “King of the Kerb”. Sonya’s charms have not faded and there were points when it seemed that she hypnotised everyone present. She encouraged the audience during the show, making sure no one stood still. We could occasionally hear the crowd shouting encouragements to Sonya and the band. The atmosphere was utterly joyful and laid back and we could fully enjoy the intimacy of the small venue and the friendly bond created between the band and the fans. Echobelly were making sure we were having a good time. After “A Map is Not the Territory” they played the first single from the forthcoming album. “Anarchy and Alchemy” took me to another dimension for a while and I stopped shooting. I really wanted to surrender myself to this number. Sonya’s very emotional IMG_0167-webperformance was at the peak during this song. And so was I. The song was captivating, thoughtful, strong, emotional and, even though it can be perceived as a heavier piece, it still had an optimistic note. The next one they played was “Natural Animal” and again, the audience was ecstatic and giving support to Sonya during the refrain. The atmosphere was boiling. No wonder. They really chose a good set list and the band sounded flawless. They played one of my alltime favourite songs next. It was “Bulldog Baby”. Even without the orchestrated arrangements the song was magnificent. Now it was my time to sing along. They played a new one again and I really had to pay attention to it. I concluded that the new album could easily be the best one they have ever produced. However, it’s rather difficult to pick the favourite Echobelly album. I assume I will just have to be patient. They closed the show with the utterly optimistic and positive “Great Things” song. After the final treat, they played two more songs. They decided to present one more new track and to give us another 90s hit, “Dark Therapy”. Until the next show, and in the meantime we will patiently wait for the release of Anarchy And Alchemy.