Upon arrival to the Band Quest, hosted by Rock Matrix, I found myself entering the sound check for headlining prog-rockers ‘Strangers Lane’. I purchased a pint of Strongbow and eagerly anticipated the show to start. Various flyers for opening act ‘Ghost in mirrors’ lay scattered across the venue. The flyers included extracts from prior reviews proclaiming them to be the illegitimate offspring of ‘Bjork’ and ‘Porcupine Tree’. This compelling analogy between two such prestigious bands was enough to engage me with the opening act ‘Ghost in mirrors.’
Ghost in mirrors: The opening quartet assumed positions with an additional vocalist who would soon prove her worth along with the rest of these ‘Rock Matrix’ newbies. The set opened with an atmospheric use of keys before unfolding its darkly yet carefully woven portrait of textures and sounds. ‘Ghost In Mirrors’ struck the audience with ethereal sounds capes, which resonated throughout the set carving a truly tangible form of music, one in which a sound: touches, taunts and threatens its victims. The epic journey pursed when one engages with a band of this calibur is enough to leave any progressive rock fan awe struck (8/10).
The Hopeless Sons: The second act were a hard-hitting alternative band called ‘The Hopeless Sons’ who would obtain more receptiveness than their name may imply. Amidst the raw vocals and the adrenaline fuelled pace, ‘The Hopeless Sons’ roped in a couple of crowd members dancing while others were singing. These guys clearly have a following and quite rightly so when they shed they’re hard rock skin into the more subdued yet well-coordinated territory of the bongo drum: revealing a warmth and charm that sets these guys aside from the other acts of the night. The closure of their set saw Alex wielding an acoustic guitar, as ‘The Hopeless Sons’ departure becomes a cathartic one at that: Truly a band who knows how to leave a long lasting impression, one that will keep fans coming back for more (7).
Strangers Lane: The headlining act serves as a tribute to 70′s prog-rock and blues inspired by ‘Almon brothers’. The quintet are the shipwrecked survivors of late prog rockers ‘Equinox’ and their unparalleled passion for the genre burns brighter in the revamped and more cohesive ‘Strangers Lane’: mastering a genre of music to this level of expertise not only rekindles one’s appreciation of 70′s rock; it also flares new interest from the Bull and Vic crowd. The band’s affinity to the fundamentals of 70′s rock reside with Daniel Murphy’s slick and intricate use of soloing to Warren’s husky and organic vocal tones. ‘Strangers Lane’ demonstrates clarity and precision: bleeding the past into the present taking us back to a time when ‘The Eagles’ soared high (8).
Review by Ben Spencer
Link to Bandquest page: http://www.bandquestuk.com/review-090210/
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