Vital 2011 - Rams' Pocket Radio
Next Stage, 7.30pm
Saturday 23rd of August
Describe In a tweet: Power ballads, gritty guitars and … John Farnham?!
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What happened: Rams' Pocket Radio are full of confidence at the minute and it shows. Peter McCauley clearly enjoys having an enraptured crowd at his disposal and shows that even behind a keyboard you can act like a bit of a rockstar, but by jove does he have the talent to back that swagger up.
Opener "Dogs Run In Packs" is a stunner, hammering piano chords and providing an intense bassline before drifting into, um, classic 1980s pop track, "You're The Voice" for a bit. There's no filler in this set and it never really nosedives in terms of quality during the 30 minute performance. With "Love Is A Bitter Thing" slowing things down a little much to our enjoyment: it's a brave move to bring out such a ballad during a festival appearance but it's one of the strongest tracks within the band's arsenal. It's an intense performance and one that will certainly stick in the memory: with festival appearances at Glasgowbury, Glastonbury and Belsonic under their belt Rams' Pocket Radio have the opportunity to bring their music to the masses, and they're doing their darndest to deliver.
I'm Yours: While Rams' can be marketed as a solo project sometimes, it's impossible to overstate the importance of the rest of the band. Shauna Tohill and Richard Van den Bos, great musicians in their own right, provide for a much richer and fuller sound. The attention to detail with the drumming and the occasionally explosive guitars bring the songs to a higher level in a live setting.
We Cry: Occasionally it feels like the band only have two modes: quiet and loud. We can be listening along to a soft little number which then becomes this towering behemoth of a track with no lead up or warning at all, great for the occasional shock value but when it happens on a regular basis can become a little formulaic.
Rating: 7/10
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