BLEACH LAB + RALPH TV – KOMEDIA STUDIO BAR, BRIGHTON 8.10.21
South London based 4 piece Bleach Lab played their first gig in Brighton on Friday night to a sold out crowd at the Komedia Studio Bar. Bleach Lab have been a band I’ve been looking forward to seeing for sometime, both their debut single ‘Heartache Of The Seasons’ and their latest track ‘Real Thing’ having been favourites of mine for some time. They have been championed by both Steve Lamacq and the now departed Shaun Keavney on 6Music recently.
Support tonight came from Ralph TV, another Brighton based band that I saw for the first time back in August when they supported CIEL and Hanya at The Prince Albert. Read the Brighton & Hove News Music Team’s review of that night HERE.
Ralph TV have a slightly funky vibe with a laid back sound and funky grooves and the quintet got the crowd dancing. Recent singles ‘Taxi Boy’ and ‘Superfood’ went down well and were the standout songs of their seven song set. Catch them live next time they play in town, you won’t be disappointed.
You can find them on Spotify HERE.
Headliners Bleach Lab took to the small Komedia Studio Bar stage at 9pm to great applause. The entire front row seemed to be friends or flatmates of singer Jenna Kyle. She has recently moved down to Brighton to live as she told us mid set.
I always like a singer who makes an effort with their outfit for a gig and Jenna looked great in white heeled boots and a one piece pink velvet jumpsuit. She reminded me of a young Emma Peel as played by Diana Rigg from ‘The Avengers’ with her outfit. Probably not a reference for the teenagers there.
I can only describe their music as ethereal dream pop. Think Mazzy Star mixed with The Sunday’s and you will be pretty close to their sound. They played a ten song set and the standout song was their recent single ‘Real Thing’, which had the crowd singing along. The track was produced by Steven Street who produced some of the best Smiths songs. You could almost hear the Smiths influence in the single.
Their new single ‘Violet Light’ from the new EP ‘Nothing Feels Real’, released on October 15th also went down well with the crowd. They finished their fifty minute set with ‘Old Ways’, which is one of their early songs. This too had the crowd singing along. They left the stage, no encore, but a great evening of music was had by all.
Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long till Bleach Lab play again in Brighton. I was reliably informed that they will be back for the Great Escape Festival in May 2022 if things go to plan.
Bleach Lab are:
Josh Longman (bass)
Kieran Weston (drums)
Frank Waters (guitar)
Jenna Kyle (vocals)
Bleach Lab setlist:
‘Sleep’
‘Lighthouse’
‘Never Be’
‘Violet Light’
‘Real Thing’
‘Scars’
‘Flood’
‘Talk It Out’
‘Heartache Of The Seasons’
‘Old Ways’
Check out their Bandcamp page HERE.
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