The Melomanic Sessions have been attracting much attention since news of the show began and this month it held its fourth installation of the series at the Warehouse Project.
This was the kind of location that determines the crowd and the mood, and the bare spaciousness and low lights turned the programme into a chilled out evening of good acoustic jams. Not forgetting of course, the super Gooey Chocolate Cake courtesy the Warehouse Project ‘Cakes for a Cause’ initiative that’s now almost better known than the music itself.
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A lot of the artists have now become fixtures at the series, but there were also new faces among the less experienced of the performance. The music nevertheless, was good. Imaad and his guitar opened with a run of three numbers from his upcoming EP. There was nothing fancy here, but the simplicity of the music was perfect. The band called ‘Not Another Metal Band’ had also picked simple numbers for their set, and Dani’s easy vocals just set you in a mood to have a good time. Next up was Asela, who with Chrisantha (aka CC) and Kavya forms the core of the action behind the scenes and before the actual event. He accompanied himself on the guitar through a couple of numbers and was then joined by Kei and “her little friend” the ukulele.
The duo gave us some quaint songs including ‘You and I’ by Ingrid Michaelson and Dan Romer – a happy-go-lucky rendition that was nicely complemented by the easy chemistry between the two.Kavya’s set immediately after this, as mellow manics are now accustomed to experiencing, turned the intensity up a notch or two. Her voice is a little heavier and more mature than the
previous vocalists’ and her delivery also better controlled. She was joined by two guitarists for a slightly darker, almost sultry rendition of Nickelback’s ‘Hero’ and then ‘Wherever You Will Go’ by The Calling. Then came the heavy-weights from Salvage who turned not just the intensity but also the volume up quite a bit with ‘Flood’ by Jars of Clay and then three originals including ‘The Storm’ and ‘Sublime’.
The crowd was hyped by the end of this set, and Gehan’s controlled vocals accompanied by gentle guitar and keyboard, were really effective in bringing the levels back down smoothly. Natasha took the performance space next, accompanying herself on the keyboard.
She changed the tone a little with more soulful numbers than the alternative we’d been hearing ‘til then, and diva-delivery, especially on a duet with Svetlana.Cynosure were strung to the end of the line-up of that evening to make sure people went home “feeling good”. And sure enough, vocalist Shezri had so much fun dancing around and just jamming that it was impossible for the audience to not be infected also with the bubbly genuineness of their music.
If anything, the evening was easy, and at the price of “the donation of your choice” that goes towards the Warehouse Project, the experience was totally, satisfying. While a bit long, the evening undeniably provided the opportunity for a great platform for budding artists to get a feel for a small (and therefore sometimes more intent and challenging) audience, and for the “older” Melomanics to enjoy some good music, stripped right down.
Await the next Melomanic Session in two months time. Check them out at TheMelomanicSessions on Facebook for more information. |
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