Blue Nation at O2 Academy Islington

Blue Nation at O2 Academy Islington

01 June, 2011
by: Jessjb

Blue Nation: the perfect tonic to any weekend.

It's Friday night and we're finally able to shake off the woes of work with the perfect tonic to any weekend: Blue Nation. Introducing Ade, Neil and Jon, the threesome behind the indie/blues driven band from Brum's stomping ground. And with a name referring to the state of the Englishman's sub conscience, namely our incessant ability to moan about everything from the crappy weather when the heavens open to our bacon rasher tans when it's good, these guys just want us to cheer the f*** up. Which isn't too difficult with tracks like their current EP 'New York City Lights', which they're kicking off tonight with at the O2 Academy Islington.

It's a wicked hustle and bustle of drums and bass guitar colliding with the kind of frenetic energy the Big Apple's renowned for. And thanks to Jon's sweet handling of the drums it's got the pulsating beat of a city that doesn't sleep, topped off with Neil's rampaging vocals that are imbued with a gritty maturity that well surpasses his age.

Contemplating their sound, it's clear Blue Nation have widened the margins of indie, with strains of blues and soul creeping in and a heavy dosing of rock n' roll that doesn't retract from more toned down acoustic numbers like 'Girl'. Another stonker of a song that's crying out for that lass who broke your heart but without the mushy sentiment that can tick you right off. Instead it's pretty heart-wrenching stuff; awesome searing guitars and sharp riffs that'll slice right through you, coupled with a rawness that really shows off Neil's vocal range as he intermittently blasts out pure emotion and reigns it back in for mellower moments.

With their mature, eclectic sound these guys have come a long way since Blue Nation's birth. Neil unashamedly picked up the guitar to meet girls, settling for the talented likes of bassist Ade and evidently lucky for some No. 13 auditionee Jon, who wooed them with his nimble handling of the drums. And it's clear that these guys mesh well, both on and off stage, with Ade adding that the feel of playing in a live band tops recording or going solo.

Cue 'Dark Days', which takes things down a notch here, proving that their indie ballads are as strong as their bluesy rock. The drunks around me are swaying, lulled into a false sense of security that something more chilled is on the horizon. Then the twinkly guitars and sweet melody give way to something a little darker, the drums kick in and it's like the dark days of a heavy night begin to creep in as something starts to pound from within. Wicked track that just takes hold of you.

There's no sign of things tiring out either as the band churn out the likes of 'Tales of A Liar' and 'I Feel Inspired', the kind of tracks you just want to belt out along to. And had it been later on in the night I probably would have, but thankfully the crowd is saved. It also doesn't hurt that with these songs Neil exudes stage presence by the bucket load and several of my mates are swooning like schoolgirls. My only hang up of the night is that 'Frank Sinatra' didn't make it to the setlist. But considering the band recently secured themselves another London gig in the not too distant future, I'll hopefully get my fix then.

You know when you're nearing the end of the set and the band is sweating bricks that they're literally pouring their heart and soul into it. And aside from being sound guys, their music speaks for itself; a mixed bag of melodies that hit the spot spritzered with rip raw lyrics that refuse to shy away from the unquenchable sorrow of a broken heart. And so, with an ever increasing fanbase - hell, one lad here flew over from Germany to see them play tonight – there's a strong consensus that the crowd has been well and truly won over. Blue Nation we salute you.

Blue Nation's website: http://www.bluenation.co.uk/

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Jessjb