Los De Abajo / Peyoti for President

Support band Peyoti for President are already on stage when we arrive at Carling's Islington Academy. The South American sounds, political ramblings and a slice of ska on top make them a great opener for the evening. Going to a gig on a recommendation is always interesting and often daunting but tonight is off to a great start. They confess that they are 'a bit political', but whether or not you agree with the sentiment, it is difficult to disagree with their musicianship and energy.



During 'We The People' we are told that they "don't give a damn", but that is difficult to believe when delivered with such passion. 'Bad politician' and 'Yo No Quiero Trabajar' are the other stand out tracks which upped in funk value as the set went on. Top cap a brilliant performance, the band hand out CD’s which are eagerly snapped up.

If you are based in London, I would recommend that if you like your music with an international feel, Peyoti for President is worth checking out.

After a short interlude Los De Abajo take to the stage. It becomes obvious that this is going to get interesting as I lose count of how many band members there actually are on stage. They stand still for long enough for me to work out that there are 10 of them. Trying to get their performances tied down and their timings aligned seems to prove a little difficult for the first few songs of the set but coordinating that many people without a conductor is probably like trying to get a jellyfish into a string bag. The opener has a South American blues feel about it but I find it difficult to engage as it seems a bit all over the place.



The strength of Odisea Valenzuela's voice seems to pull everything together and as the rest of the band leave her to sing accompanied by a single sax and guitar, the evening really picks up. Her vocal range and diversity seem to draw everyone in and we are transfixed and eager to hear more. Her haunting tones are soon accompanied by the rest of the band as they join her back on stage to build the song to its crescendo.

The pace picks up and the band has returned much tighter and with a refreshed energy. The balance of instruments against vocals is now perfect and although the deeper meaning of the Mexican lyrics is lost on me (and many of the rest of the audience), the lively bounce of brass section pull us in.



Towards the end of the show the band don colourful balaclavas. It looks like a massive bank raid on toy town until the air raid sirens sound in the background. The guitarist pulls his instrument in close and arranges it as if staring down the barrel of a gun. One of the sax players mounts his musical rocket launcher on his shoulder and starts to march. The atmosphere becomes intense but this is the kind of communication that we can all understand. Electronic drums join the 2 drummers and percussionist on stage and the enormity of the whole piece is realised.

The pace has now been set for the remainder of the show and as intensity grows, the band respond with faster and faster rhythms, complex drum layers taking us on a whistle stop tour of South America.

For the grand finale, the band jump into the crowd and conga and we are all invited to join in. After a mixed start with a good support band, the evening ends on a high and it seems a shame to stop the party there. Walking back to the station the beautiful voice and almost techno hypnotic beats play around my head.

FUTURE GIGS

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