Every once in a while a band comes along that is unique. Or has potential. This doesn’t always mean they’re ‘great’, ‘spectacular’, or even ‘memorable’, but it does mean that they’ve made an impression on us in some way. The Balconies are such a band. Comprised of singer Jacquie Neville, guitarist Stephen Neville (brother) and drummer Liam Jaeger, The Balconies ripped up the pub the other night much to the cheers and hootings of the locals, many of whom seemed to either know the songs, the band, or to be so starved for live rock music that any high energy over the top performance was cause for celebration!
Looking like they all needed a few good meals, the impossibly skinny sister/brother duo were full throttle all night. Although Jacquie’s motions often consisted of somewhat over the top rock poses, and her voice was at times a screech rather than decipherable, the overall impact was positive. The songs (of what lyrics we could hear) had a mainly upbeat and positive vibe. Some of the tunes were more ‘garage band’ in their composition and feel; heavy chord and drum beats with little to differentiate them from any other garage band, but a few of the tunes were originally unique and people visibly sat up and forward, their attention hooked. Drummer Jaeger was as high octane as the duo flanking him on the tiny stage.
The set ended with a bang, possibly a blown speaker or two, and a bevy of listeners of all ages heading to the merch table in the back to purchase cds and have them autographed. A success. We’ll be interested to see where this band ends up in a year or two!
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