How many bands have you heard of that have moved from Cornwall to Manchester, changed their name and reinvented their set list? Welcome to the world of Haven, mellow indie rockers and hidden metallers.
The band of the night were supported by Tetra Splendour, an indie-rock four-piece from Porthcawl in South Wales. The band were the perfect warm-up act, their blend of angst-rock with evident jazz influences and beautiful keyboard melodies (not unlike Toploader) having made the crowd suitably receptive for the wonder of Haven.
Entering to an enthusiastic audience, Haven took us through the entire gamut of their album, (as yet untitled and produced by ex-Smith's Johnny Marr), to be released in the new year. We were smitten from the beginning from the positively inspiring 'Till the End', right until the very end of the one-song encore.
The definite highlights in the set were the luscious 'Say Something' with its soaring vocals and meaningful lyrics and 'Beautiful Thing'. The third most memorable song had to be ‘Out Of Reach’, ironically, because it wasn’t shockingly different in set-up, the ideas, ideals and tone, yet somehow seemed to differentiate from the rest. This track was certainly the best break, with Gary's vocal superiority diffusing through the room and instrumental mastery apparent for all to see.
The only minor glitch in an otherwise excellent set was the almost complete lack of audience interaction, as the band seemed to have gotten lost in the concentrated search for technical competence and musical wizardry! However they can be forgiven, as unlike a lot of equally knackered and sweaty bands after gigs, they did come back for an encore, and in my eyes, gained extra plus points for interacting with the audience in the bar after the gig. Once this band got on stage, they didn't want to leave! An excellent time was guaranteed for all who had attended, especially the resident mashed peroxide groupies gyrating at the front.
Look out for the band, coming to the Water Rats Theatre, (328 Grays Inn Road, Bloomsbury, WC1) on the 20th of November, complete with identical haircuts and aesthetically pleasing bassist Iwan!
Keep your eyes peeled for the forthcoming Haven interview - watch this space.
