The coolest of the Bristol set in their vintage finest are out in force tonight for Wille and the Bandits supported by the Rainbreakers.
A band that is impossible to define, spanning blues, rock, Latin and folk genres; the music is as diverse as the crowd.
Fellow South Westers Rainbreakers are bringing the best of British blues to start things off, with a well-deserved crowd turning up early to see it.
With a ludicrously early set time, the headliners are rocking the boat from the start and these three can really make some noise. With Matthew’s six-string bass and one of the largest pedal boards you’ve ever seen, Andy mixing percussion while showing off on drums and Wille playing a guitar on his lap with a steel bar on a slide guitar, the sound is unique to say the least.
Covers of Santana and Peter Greene set the tone and display what diversity the crowd are in for. Tracks from previous albums and their most recent release Paths are creating whoops and cheers from a more than appreciative audience. The raspy vocal suits the passion of Judgement Day and Keep it on the Downlow creates jigs o’ plenty.
Hold Your Head Up is the yin kick to the yang zen feeling you get from this wild mix of sonic cultures. The music has a reminiscence of Steely Dan with a rock ‘n’ roll bite. As said by Wille himself, they’re an acoustic band that accidentally became a rock band.
Mid-set sees a tribal vibe, with an unabating drum beat creating a meditative state, allowing the crowd to immerse themselves in this moment. Then, things are back at full throttle with Andy (described as the love child of Cat Stevens and Frank Zappa) drumming at the speed of light ahead of a guitar ‘battle’ between the other two guys. It’s equally endearing and mesmerising to watch as the friendly ends with the bass player winning. It’s a nice touch.
The evening is like a juke box. They’re not afraid of their audience, or to give them what they want. This must stem from hard work and good roots from playing their local pub route.
The night sums up what this band brings to its live audiences; aside from an education in music, its great fun.
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