The Sundowners - The New ABBA!
It was freezing last night and the long walk to the theatre did nothing to warm me up, so I arrived feeling a little jaded. However, I comforted myself with the thought that I was spending an evening in the company of a wonderful friend - and watching two great bands …
In truth, The Sundowners surpassed themselves with last night’s performance! They were supporting the lovely Ren Harvieu, but by rights deserved a show of their own.
They burst on stage and blew the audience away with their first song. Their renditions of Hummingbird, Wild One, and Gone Into the Sun, to name just a few, showed their versatility, They seemed to get better with every song! The audience, many of whom did not previously know them, quickly warmed to the band.
Usually I am at the front of the stage but on this occasion I was unable to get a chair, so I had literally a bird’s eye view of the audience's reaction from the balcony. It was fascinating to see the power the band had over the audience - by the end they had them eating out of their hands. I spoke to a couple of people before the show who had their doubts about staying for the first act but I advised them against leaving - they told me afterwards it would have been a mistake to miss them - The Sundowners made a lot of new fans last night.
Formed by the two lads, Alfie Skelly and Tim, the girls joined forces with them a couple of years ago and they slotted in perfectly, like the missing jigsaw piece. Fiona is the sister of Alfie Skelly, and the pair are related to chart topping band The Coral. The band write and perform their own material, which makes a refreshing change from most bands I have seen lately - The Sundowners provide fresh and unique music which appeals to all ages!
The beginning of the show could be described as the beginning of a party, a few people milling about, nobody quite knowing what to expect. A few songs in I glanced around and the audience were rapt (for once people paid attention to the band and were not talking). When the show started a lot of people I saw were sat back in their chairs, not particularly interested, just waiting for the main act … within a few songs, these people were leaning forward, captivated by the beauty of the music.
They built the show in layers, packing more songs into that 30 minutes than most bands do in an hour! They ended on a rocky number which left the audience excited and baying for more.
IF I have a criticism, it would be that (in my humble opinion) they should have started with that last song and ended with another one. However, when I mentioned this to them Fiona she pointed out that the rest of their songs are very gentle and they wanted to leave the audience on a high, which is a valid point.
So what makes The Sundowners stand out from all the acts out there at the moment?
Well, for a start, they write amazing songs! The songs mentioned above are beautiful ballads which send shivers down the spine. The girls share the lead vocals and both have great voices and do lovely harmonies. While I love hearing both girls sing solo, Niamh has a unique voice - there is an unusual timbre to her voice which reaches to the heart of the listener when they hear her sing. Fiona is stunning and has such a sweet voice - I love her solo songs! Somebody recently asked me to describe them and I said they were a cross between ABBA and The Mammas and Papas - although there is also a hint of Dolly Parton in there somewhere.
The girls are the crowning glory of the band, although that is not to take away from the quieter lads - Alfie and Tim play guitar, and the drummer Jim has recently joined them. However, with lead vocals like that, I have no doubt that when the band release their single, Hummingbird, on the 3rd December, they will quickly achieve the success they deserve - hopefully topping the charts.
Mark my words, this band will be one of the biggest bands of the 21st Century, jumping out of the Wirral like a jack in the box - surprising the uninitiated with their talent.
In truth, The Sundowners surpassed themselves with last night’s performance! They were supporting the lovely Ren Harvieu, but by rights deserved a show of their own.
They burst on stage and blew the audience away with their first song. Their renditions of Hummingbird, Wild One, and Gone Into the Sun, to name just a few, showed their versatility, They seemed to get better with every song! The audience, many of whom did not previously know them, quickly warmed to the band.
Usually I am at the front of the stage but on this occasion I was unable to get a chair, so I had literally a bird’s eye view of the audience's reaction from the balcony. It was fascinating to see the power the band had over the audience - by the end they had them eating out of their hands. I spoke to a couple of people before the show who had their doubts about staying for the first act but I advised them against leaving - they told me afterwards it would have been a mistake to miss them - The Sundowners made a lot of new fans last night.
Formed by the two lads, Alfie Skelly and Tim, the girls joined forces with them a couple of years ago and they slotted in perfectly, like the missing jigsaw piece. Fiona is the sister of Alfie Skelly, and the pair are related to chart topping band The Coral. The band write and perform their own material, which makes a refreshing change from most bands I have seen lately - The Sundowners provide fresh and unique music which appeals to all ages!
The beginning of the show could be described as the beginning of a party, a few people milling about, nobody quite knowing what to expect. A few songs in I glanced around and the audience were rapt (for once people paid attention to the band and were not talking). When the show started a lot of people I saw were sat back in their chairs, not particularly interested, just waiting for the main act … within a few songs, these people were leaning forward, captivated by the beauty of the music.
They built the show in layers, packing more songs into that 30 minutes than most bands do in an hour! They ended on a rocky number which left the audience excited and baying for more.
IF I have a criticism, it would be that (in my humble opinion) they should have started with that last song and ended with another one. However, when I mentioned this to them Fiona she pointed out that the rest of their songs are very gentle and they wanted to leave the audience on a high, which is a valid point.
So what makes The Sundowners stand out from all the acts out there at the moment?
Well, for a start, they write amazing songs! The songs mentioned above are beautiful ballads which send shivers down the spine. The girls share the lead vocals and both have great voices and do lovely harmonies. While I love hearing both girls sing solo, Niamh has a unique voice - there is an unusual timbre to her voice which reaches to the heart of the listener when they hear her sing. Fiona is stunning and has such a sweet voice - I love her solo songs! Somebody recently asked me to describe them and I said they were a cross between ABBA and The Mammas and Papas - although there is also a hint of Dolly Parton in there somewhere.
The girls are the crowning glory of the band, although that is not to take away from the quieter lads - Alfie and Tim play guitar, and the drummer Jim has recently joined them. However, with lead vocals like that, I have no doubt that when the band release their single, Hummingbird, on the 3rd December, they will quickly achieve the success they deserve - hopefully topping the charts.
Mark my words, this band will be one of the biggest bands of the 21st Century, jumping out of the Wirral like a jack in the box - surprising the uninitiated with their talent.