//Gig Review// Urban theory/Jane Doe/Heavy on the magic-Band on the wall/17th may 2019

Urban Theory is one of those bands that will always give you a good show no matter what, they are one of the best young bands out there at the moment and this show has solidified them as one of the most talented and one to watch with eagle eyes.

But before they took the stage, we had two treats in the form of Heavy on the magic and Jane Doe both very different in sound and performance. Heavy on the magic Before this show, I hadn't heard of them so I was intrigued as soon as I heard the name. Clad in black and crazy patterned shirts, they took the stage and you could tell from their stance that this was either going to be excellent or bad. Starting with a powerful,ear-ringing track called ' Val Bominican express'. That immediately had the venue shaking, due to the heaviness of the track, Before moving onto something more space age and 90s indie. Their next track titled ' anxiety' is loud and is more spoken that it is sung as if telling a story, it's personal and you could hear it in the lead singers passionate, powerful voice.They truly are a mixed bag musically, somehow going from grunge tracks to softer songs before cranking it back up to hard-hitting high energy.

Moving onto 'magic heaven' which is definitely well suited to the show's venue (Band on the wall) it's jazzy but strangely bright, almost Beatle like in tone, the lead singer dancing along added an extra bit of fun, especially when he hits every beat.

Their next track was interesting when it came to influences, it has the voice of a pop punk band but the musically it was oddly indie. They were incredibly well suited to the venue, they weren't exactly high energy in terms of bouncing around the stage but they definitely got some people swaying along and completely focused on the band and their own drinks. They finished their set with 'Weed smokin Hippies' which was grungy as it was bassy. It was a good track to end with as the chorus was rhythmic quite memorable even though it was really the only understandable thing in the track. Overall they were well suited to the venue however there are definitely improvements to be made, specifically in performance as there were moments of stillness and musically it was somewhat of a confusing setlist when it came to genre and influence. Jane Doe After the last band, the room was filled to the brim with people laughing and chatting about various topics, with drinks in hand, and it seemed like Jane doe was already having an impact on people as the crowd seemed to grow. Jane Doe began with something almost storylike in nature to set the scene before quickly becoming something much more powerful and electric, their energy shooting from 0 to 100 immediately. You could already feel the room electrified by their presence, headbanging and moving along to every strum and crash of the drums as if they couldn't resist the urge to do so, almost hypnotised by the music. As soon as the song ended it was like they were a different band comedic and fun, as the lead singer jokes about the lead guitarist only having one guitar strap labelling it 'ridiculous' before the bassist chips in with a response. They move onto a song more raw and heartbreaking about Refugees, they are certainly not your average rock band, you could by the way they sang every word clearly, you could see that it was a painful track to sing but that made the pungency of the song stronger. With constant encouragement from the crowd Jane Doe were not afraid to troop on at 101% , even when the lead guitarist had some equipment issues, the band improvised with sorrowful, ambient tunes to fill in, before opting for an acoustic version of the track which still had the magic of the original track, which is a skill only a few bands can master. Getting back into the groove was as quick as it had started, 'you know war of the worlds?' it's like that, it's by far the heaviest song on the set and it was a hit with the crowd, the whole front row was moving every second not stopping to breathe it would seem. Jane doe is not the indie band you would expect to see from how they dressed. You would think that they would lose energy but not once did the energy level of the band drop for even a second, the atmosphere electric throughout and you could sense the power in the air. One thing that I really loved about Jane doe was their interaction with the crowd, it wasn't just a 'hi how is everyone?' but it was the lead singer joining the crowd off stage during certain songs which can really elevate the personal experience of a gig and create an unforgettable experience. Music is certainly power. Urban theory Now for the act, everyone has been waiting for, the crowd were immediately engaged from the first pick of the guitar singing along with power and excitement matched by Alex: 'band on the wall let's be fucking having ya'. From the beginning songs like 'Weekend Offender', and 'Living the dream but discussing a nightmare' flowed effortlessly into one another, their energy never falling once. The power of urban theory was almost room shaking, the neighbours were probably questioning what was happening. In terms of musicality, you could probably say that they are similar to that of Idles and in certain tracks, fall out boy.No matter what they played, the response from the crowd was always excellent throughout They completely packed the venue out and you could see why just from Alex's (lead singer) stage presence, his voice filling the room. The next two tracks that they played 'If only it was a funhouse' and 'A poet's world' were honestly my personal favourites as they were both incredibly impactful and really showcased of their excellent stage presence. Their next track 'Mandy' seemed like a crowd favourite, with all those in attendance singing along to every word and even though it was new it was definitely a stand out track which will have future crowds screaming their hearts out to. Their drummer, wanting to have some input continued to play the next song 'fishbowls n' Headfuckers' which gave the crowd a bit of a break. 'we have two more songs to play you' Alex began to say but the crowd fought back begging for more songs random numbers flying around. To end Urban theory thanked their support acts 'thank you to Jane Doe and heavy on the magic' which is enough to make you love them even more. Their closing song was A-B which was enough to bring the crowd even closer. Although Urban theory may be young, they have a bright musical future before them, and the fact they are packing out venues and have this kind of passion for it, is an excellent sign of what's to come. A real night to remember, and I very much believe that it still was the morning after.