Whoever had the idea to hold this gig on a Monday obviously possesses some pretty good promotional skills, because even this didn’t stop the gig from selling out. Normally, Monday nights are reserved for lying in bed, eating the weekend’s leftovers, and generally just existing until you eventually drop off. Or is that just me? Nevertheless, the solid line-up of Cosmo Sheldrake and Songhoy Blues obviously coaxed a lot of people out of their early week routines, as they slowly filled the upstairs of Oslo clutching cans of Red Stripe or plastic cups full of anonymous beer, eagerly waiting the arrival of the support act.
I didn’t really know what to expect from Cosmo Sheldrake, but it wasn’t what I got. A solo artist with everything from adaptations of William Blake and Edward Lear, to songs based on samples of fish and Mongolian throat singers (I kid you not), his originality seemed infinite. Armed with a Mac, a looping synth, and a jumper/waistcoat combination that made him look slightly like a reverend at certain angles, he’s what I’d imagine Joe Newman would be as a solo artist. Their voices are fairly similar too…
Songhoy Blues took to the stage very promptly at half 9, and their energy captivated the audience right from the start. Imagine the scene: A full crowd of East Londoners in a sweaty upstairs venue by the Overground, all dancing along to a relatively unknown band, and not caring about looking cool.
That’s the spell the band cast over everyone for the full hour and a half they were onstage. That’s not all either. During the last song of their set, Al Hassidi Terei, the Touré brothers and Nathanael Dembélé even managed to choreograph everyone into synchronised dancing.
Aliou Touré wanted to put on a show, and managed to do just that. Of course, his dance moves also have to be mentioned. It only took one song for him to down his guitar and start freestyling while his brother improvised a hypnotic blues solo. “It’s not life without music” declared Aliou after the third song, and you can tell these guys live and breathe it.
After they left the stage, and what felt like an age of cheering, Aliou continued to please the crowd by walking back on, guitar in hand, and started to sing about the band’s home country, Mali. One by one, his bandmates joined him, and they ended the night with a final rally-cry of their first single, Sabour. Songhoy Blues have an unstoppable energy and an infectious smile when they perform. If you don’t want to miss another unmissable show, the band are at Village Underground on 20th May. Trust me, you need to experience this!
