Capdown / Buzzkill

A warm and energetic response from the crowd marked the shape of things to come as Buzzkill made their surprisingly big presence known on the disproportionately small stage at the Birmingham Barfly. They played well enough and, although it was obvious that everyone there was waiting for Capdown’s arrival, they seemed to get an energetic response. The trumpet player seemed quite out of place, however, moving significantly less than the other members and looking like he was about as comfortable as a clown at a funeral, adding an awkward element to the show.

The next band to take the stage did so with a sense of renown and seemed fairly well known among the ska fans present. The King Blues couldn’t be a more irrelevant name, their music being more of a politically motivated reggae. The eclectic use of instruments made it an interesting watch, especially the lead singer’s consistent use of a Ukulele. Despite the hilarity arising from the ridiculous contrast in size between the front man and his baby guitar, he still managed to take himself very seriously, pausing halfway through the set to preach to the impressionable youth before him: "Every generation has had its rebellion, now it’s time for yours." Which seems to be inciting a rebellion for the sake of it, rather than for a good reason. The crowd seemed to like it, however, and chanted, at his bidding, idealistic and ambiguous words like ‘Truth!’ and 'Justice!'

At last Capdown ran into the pools of blaring light and burst instantly into song, much to the relief of the fans who were nigh on exploding with anticipation. The initial atmosphere created by the band was that of indispensable energy. The lead man ‘Jake’ couldn’t keep still for more than... well, he just couldn’t keep still at all, apart from when he was playing his saxophone, which he relished with the utmost concentration. Jake was not only an entertaining spectacle to watch, but he was also a pacemaker, of sorts, for the crowd who all followed his example in throwing their limbs around in careless celebration. However, When the eye was torn away form Jake the rest of the band members were in danger of looking bland in comparison. They did do all the expected movements associated with playing their instruments but the show would really have benefited from a more consistent energy output from across the band members.



Musically, Capdown were original, fun and extremely talented. Their sound inspired dancing in almost everyone, even some of the security staff, which is a rare sight. The fact that the band used a saxophone and a guitar, which shared lead, kept the music sounding fresh and exciting. During one of the later songs a particularly enjoyable moment was an impressive solo on guitar, followed swiftly by a similar solo on the sax. The expectation for a ‘solo war’ rose but, alas, it never came, and that is another area where the band could improve their show: more competition between the saxophone and the guitar and perhaps some jamming. This would have broken up the set a bit more, made it more dynamic and exposed the bands originality even more, making it accessible to those who do not dance.

Capdown, in conclusion, were a fun watch, perfect for anyone who likes to dance their heart out. They were certainly adept in the art of crowd pleasing, inspiring the whole room to sing until their lungs hurt, and then sing more, especially during the famous ‘Act Your Rage’. For those who don’t dance, however, the interesting musical line up and original sound can only go so far and some variety in style or sound wouldn’t have gone amiss.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.