MUSIC GUIDE
ThE DUNWELLS
original LIVE MUSIC
The Dunwells / Ginger Tom Band / Sleep Junkies Diamond Live Lounge, Wood St, Doncaster, DN1 3LH 21st November, 2014
Free Music Session & Development Forum Monday December 29th, 7.30pm Ukrainian Centre, Beckett Road, DN2 4AD
The ‘jewel in the crown of Doncaster’s live music scene’ is what this venue aimed to be when it opened in June this year, and it’s definitely on its way. The building keeps its history - the huge arched windows and tall ceiling from when it was a church gives the place real character. It’s a magnificent place to be in, especially to watch a live gig. At the back of the building there is a curved balcony with a massive circle window which takes your breath away and has the best views of the entire floor. The bar is sprawling and the service is fantastic. You’re greeted with wide smiles and humour. There is some good seating - I managed to claim a sofa at the back - and the overall atmosphere is very welcoming.
The Roots Music Club, specialising in live acoustic, folk, roots and blues music, has been a part of the Doncaster live music scene for a little over a year and has made great efforts to bring very high quality bands and artists that might not ordinarily come to town. There have been many successful weekly gigs at our home venue, the Ukrainian Centre on Beckett Road, with artists coming every Friday from all corners of the UK, New York City, France and the Southern States of the US.
The opening band was Sleep Junkies, a three piece with a crisp, organic sound. The two guitarists have soothing harmonies and their tunes are light and soft - a nice opening to the night. The drummer is unique in that he sits on a box and hits it with his hands to bring in a beat that is soft to accompany the smoothness of the tunes. This band would be more comfortable at a house gig or a small and intimate venue to show off their full acoustic sounds. ‘On My Way’ is their defining song - memorable lyrics and a nice tune that I could easily listen to on the radio. I hope to hear more from this band. Next were local band Ginger Tom Band, who have played at the Little Theatre before as a duo, and this time played with their band. As a duo they have some catchy tunes and their EP is definitely worth getting your hands on, but as a band the same songs have more power and they really filled the entire venue. They are getting a real following in Doncaster and have gigs lined up in London, Wolverhampton and Dewsbury next year. A group of chirpy chaps, they are very likeable and have a lot of charm and personality that will help them get even further.
We now want to raise more awareness of our concerts, ‘take the temperature’ of the local live music scene and better serve the gig going fraternity of Doncaster by holding a free open forum, where current and potential audience members can come along, enjoy a free concert and contribute to an open discussion to discover how Roots might better serve them, musically and culturally. Please come to the forum and help us do what we do better. Audiences, potential audiences, musicians, singers, promoters - please feel free to join the event. Doors 7.30 pm – Live Music 8pm Open discussion/forum 8.45pm – Live Music 9.45pm Times are subject to musical flexibility. Call 07939 148603 for details. www.rootsmusicclub.co.uk
The headliners were The Dunwells, an explosive band that I expected to be a lot quieter. Their songs are hard hitting and the band is full of energy, running and jumping around the stage as the singer roars into the microphone. The Dunwells pack some punch and the crowd loved it. They have a long list of gigs lined up throughout 2015 and are building a strong following as they get ready for their UK tour. With their powerful stage presence and an army of fans behind them, expect to see their name printed more often. Sound Scoundrels @sound_scoundrel - Twitter www.soundscoundrels.wordpress.com (Photo Credit: Mark Lorraine ©2014)
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