Gig Reviews: Roosevelt Bandwagon live at The Troubadour, Earl's Court 31/03/2011
by dannymarston
I’d heard a bit about Roosevelt Bandwagon before tonight but I didn’t know many details – their website doesn’t seem to name names and although the recordings featured on there sound great they’ve clearly got nothing on the live experience…
The Troubadour’s got a pretty small stage so it was a surprise to see such a range of instruments cramped onto it. I can’t remember the last time I saw a cello and a pedal steel featured in the same act but the combination worked superbly. It was fleshed out with mandolin, bass and beautiful harmonies.
The music itself is pure Americana but, for a band that mainly hail (at least judging from onstage banter) from the UK, their take on it is really believable. There’s nothing contrived about the songs – indeed many of them sound pretty timeless. The line up obviously sets this self- styled collective aside from other alt-country bands and, despite the lack of a drummer, they have a real feel of Dylan’s backing band circa the Hard Rain tour in more muscular instances and something of an Alison Krauss sensibility in more tender moments.
An enthusiastic crowd cheered them on and they seemed to be selling CDs hand-over-fist after the show; there was talk of the imminent release of a new album too. This is one of the few gigs I can remember where there was a real buzz at seeing something a little out of the ordinary that’s still a well kept secret. You should check them out – I’ve got a feeling they might do great things…
Danny Marston
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Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2011 Time: 7:12 PM
About dannymarston
Danny Marston is a keen gig goer in the London area and a big fan of good Americana.