THE HEAVY HEAVY LIVE AT THE SPACE BALLROOM
By James Marinaccio
The Heavy Heavy live at the Space Ballroom.
If you are unfamiliar with The Heavy Heavy, they are a London based indie rock band. If you were to listen to an album of theirs, you would probably be under the impression that it was released during the mid 60’s. Their sound is like a time capsule. Drawing inspiration from The Mamas & the Papas, they utilize distant vocals and harmonies that invoke the spirit of vintage California surf rock.
Think sunny skies with a Volkswagen beetle winding up the coast with a 12 foot longboard strapped to the roof. In this day and age, I can’t really think of a band that nails this type of sound quite like The Heavy Heavy. The band primarily consists of Georgie Fuller and Will Turner. Along with carrying nearly equal weight in the vocals department, Fuller also plays keys, and Turner plays guitar.
I was personally very surprised to have seen that The Heavy Heavy were going to be performing at the Space Ballroom. Although one of my favorite venues, I felt that The Heavy Heavy could have been able to move more tickets and perform at a slightly larger club. After seeing them live, it was clear that, regardless of whether they could of sold out a larger venue, the energy of their music would have filled any space.
Georgie Fuller’s voice blew the roof off. It was obvious to everyone in the room that we would not be seeing The Heavy Heavy in a 300 capacity club again. The group is completely polished. I cannot think of a single critique of their performance. A pessimist would say that they were born in the wrong generation but an optimist would say that they are bringing back a form of music that inspired millions and could possibly foment a repetition of those glorious days. At the least, they will hopefully incite a level of creative soul searching for a group of younger artists.
It would be quite the oversight if I didn’t mention the support Fuller and Turner had on stage. While the other band members may not be the primary creative forces behind The Heavy Heavy, they fully embodied the band’s musical mission. In particular, Thomas Holder on bass. Holder is extremely talented and brings a fun loving vibe that is so contagious.
If I could buy stock in a band, it would be this one. Their music will bring people together. Allowing older folks to reminisce, and young listeners to further explore. If you have never listened to them, I would recommend you set aside 45 minutes to listen to The Heavy Heavy‘s live album simply entitled, Live. It’s best experienced loud – very loud. The adventure will prove to be much more rewarding than anything I can write in this review.
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