Goodbye @ The Garibaldi Hotel
The Garibaldi Hotel hosted one of Brighton's biggest up and coming shoegaze bands as Picky New Promotions presents Goodbye with support from Safety Jacket and Freya Rose.
On their March ‘fun run’ of shows across the country, fresh faced Brighton based Goodbye stop off at The Garibaldi Hotel as they bring their melancholic pop to Northampton's best backstreet boozer. Along for the ride was George from Brighton based band Safety Jacket joined by local talent Freya Rose on the bill for Picky New Promotions latest showcase of emerging talent. As a local music hot spot Friday nights at The Garibaldi never disappoint when bringing up and coming talent from across the UK to their pop-up stage, with this evening being no exception from the rest.
Safety Jacket (solo):
Lead vocalist and guitarist George from Brighton based indie-rock band Safety Jacket opened the evening with a gripping stripped back solo set. By harnessing the power of his intimate poetic lyrics and emotional expression George brough the magic of storytelling to life with his performance of deeply reflective song, taking the audience on a journey through love, loss and loneliness. His distinctive vocal style and pensive songwriting reignited, left the audience hanging off every word till it felt like no time before his set was done.
Although I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to experience Safety Jacket as a full band, hearing George perform the songs in their rawrest form brought about an appreciation for his crafts, and the level of passion poured into each one. The use of niche imagery in the verses is a window into George's experiences, while the choruses are clear and relatable, normally revolving around a phrase any listener can pin to a memory.
As excited as I am to see Safety Jacket perform in full, I'm grateful for the chance I had to experience the intense display of emotion brought to the stage, and the connection George created with the audience through music. You can catch George performing a run of solo shows on March 26th at Rosie Bar (Brighton), April 1st at Star in Shoreditch (London).
Freya Rose:
Local Northampton artist Freya Rose showed our friends from Brighton what the local talent has to offer. Performing as a five piece, the group brought wholesome, heartwarming indie rock to the stage, mixed with bedroom pop, stunning the audience with their charismatic performance till the audience were dancing in the palm of their hands.
With perfectly crafted melodies, expertly arranged harmonies and sublime instrumentation there was no denying why Freya Rose continues to be one of Northamptons must see emerging artists. Her warm and graceful tone sparked amongst the musical diversity the band brought to her songs, with every member displaying their virtuoso capabilities, while keeping within the bounds of easy listening radio ready songs. Not only did they bring the joyous upbeat energy of bedroom pop but also the intimate melancholy of heartbreak folk; a highlight of which being the moment Freya encouraged everyone to sit down with her during the performance of Hoplessa, Gracious, Weak.
It was a delight to see how much fun these guys had performing together on a stage just big enough to hold them all. The wat in which they interacted with another, and each member bringing their one character to the stage, not only were they easy on the ears but truly entertaining to see. You can catch Freya Rose next on April 4th at The Lamplighter (Northampton).
Goodbye:
Brighton based shoegaze powerhouses Goodbye put on an captivating performance as they headlined the evening, drowning the room in their psychedelic soundscape of hypnotic melodies, entrancing rhythms, and rich harmonic depth. Tip-toeing around different aspects of alternative rock there was more than one could have hoped for to keep sonically engrossed and surprised as they took to the stage.
With influences such as Slowdive and Radiohead the expectation was to be led into a textured world of ambient instrumentation and introspective lyrics, though Goodbye brought something of their own. Building more upon the dream pop elements of beautifully crafted melodies within their songwriting this band may have struck gold, finding a sweet spot between an ocean of music depth and the land of contemporary pop. The playfulness of the lead melody brings a new dynamic to their sound, coinciding with the alluring harmonies created between the three vocalists, Goodbye created a new level of sonic depth and complexity in a genre somewhat over-saturated by the years and hard to move in new directions with.
Undoubtedly suited for a far bigger stage the band captured their melancholy tone with a strangely dissociative performance, dripping more mystery into their music through expelling a sense of being lost in their own sound. Though technically not demonstrating anything groundbreaking in terms of stage direction Goodbye reflected everything their music is about through stage presence and a coordinated 90’s grunge aesthetic.
By the end of the set I was left feeling as if I’d been floating in a dream, truly consumed by such an entrancing performance of atmospheric depth and introspective reflection. You can catch Goodbye in May at The Great Escape (Brighton) and keep up to date with them on all social media platforms.
